Using Task Definition to Modify Racial Inequality Within Task Groups

Abstract

This study developed and tested a particular strategy to modify racial inequality in task groups. The strategy is suggested within an expectation states framework: If a group task is presented as one comprised of many skills that do not necessarily relate to one another, this complexity will decrease the effects of race. Thirty groups of three women, one black woman, and two white women were randomly assigned to either a condition in which the group members knew only that some people did better than others on the task (the baseline condition) or a condition in which the complexity of the task was emphasized (the incompatible complexity condition). In fact, only the descriptions of the task varied; the task was exactly the same in both conditions. Relative to the baseline condition, incompatible complexity decreased the inequality between black and white people for the time of verbal interaction and for procedural operations. The results suggest that changes in the perceived structure of the task can decrease inequality. Further, changes in inequality did not lead to decreased group effectiveness.

Teamwork and Leadership in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

“…In other fields, previous studies have shown that a number of interventions can reduce hierarchy. In one study, investigators increased the perceived (but not actual) complexity of a task to change performance expectations of group members; this improved the group's task performance (23). Managerial interventions in which the institution actively changed performance expectations of otherwise lower status individuals have also successfully changed group behavior (24).…”

“…A key insight from expectation states theory research is that human beings routinely use status characteristics to form these performance expectations: we innately use such factors such as occupation, sex, and race to decide how competent others are-even though these factors may be unrelated to actual competence in a particular task. Research in sociology has overwhelmingly shown that this is a fundamental characteristic of group interactions (22)(23)(24).…”

Race, Supervisorial Change, and Job Outcomes: Employability Resilience in NCAA Division I College Basketball Coaching

“…In the United States, race is a categorical distinction that people use when evaluating the competencies and sociability of others (Fiske et al 2002), with racial minorities being viewed as less competent (Webster and Driskell 1978;Goar and Sell 2005) and treated worse when they show unexpected intellectual ability (Fordham and Ogbu 1986;Steinberg, Dornbusch, and Brown 1992;Lovaglia et al 1998). The employment consequences of this are clear: Employers tend to hold prejudices that negatively affect the job prospects of racial minorities (e.g., Moss and Tilly 2001).…”

The Standardized Experimental Situation in Expectation States Research

“…Note that in Rosenholtz's intervention (as has been true of other such interventions), both the definition of the task situation and the structure of the task involve multi-abilities. In an important study, Goar and Sell (2005) showed that differentiation in the group's interaction hierarchy can be reduced by multi-ability definition in the task situation while holding the structure of the task constant. See also Fişek (1991) for a theoretical formulation on complex task situations.…”