Evaluations and the Formation and Maintenance of Performance Expectations

Abstract

The authors elaborate the theory and model presented inTechnical Report 18 on the formation and maintenance of performance expectation states in task groups, and their effects on group structure and interaction. The main theoretical topic here is the unit evaluation process in interaction that leads to expectation formation. New predictions are tested in three-person groups and show good confirmation. Of interest to expectation states researchers, the experiment (1) had three participants per group; (2) used continuous disagreement for 40 trials after the first two trials; (3) randomized the starting number of the slides to reduce inter-trial dependency; (4) is the first Technical Report to use the Spatial Judgment task developed by Moore (Technical Report 15); and (5) used near-veridical slides to control the unit evaluation process.