Male and female subjects in same-sex dyads performed a perceptual task. Each subject received a lower score than the partner and was assigned at random to one of two levels of standards (i.e., minimum requirements for the inference of either ability or lack of ability). Depending on these standards, the scores either definitely indicated both ability in the partner and lack of ability in self, or could not be conclusively interpreted. Subjects in the former condition were expected to accept more influence from the partner than those in the latter. The prediction was supported for women but not for men. Self-reports on motivation, seriousness regarding performance, task importance, and control over performance ruled out these variables as factors, but manipulation checks traced the observed influence rates to sex differences in levels of perceived ability relative to the partner. The results are interpreted in terms of status of subject relative to source of expectations. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are examined, and a refinement is proposed to the expectation states theory assumption of no differences in conformity levels across same-sex dyads performing a sex-neutral task.
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