Doctoral Dissertation Research: Status Characteristics and Differential Patterns of Trust

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

SES-1102946Alison BianchiCeleste Campos-CastilloUniversity of IowaHow is trust and influence organized in groups where the goal is to improve the situation of a single member? Oftentimes an individual will seek the advice of others to benefit his or her own situation: patients seek the health advice of physicians, students attend tutoring sessions to improve their grades, and defendants waiting to stand trial request assistance from a lawyer. In these situations, trust in those providing advice and acceptance of their influence may become critical for improving outcomes. These situations can become complex with both status and role-identity distinctions jointly governing the interaction process. Status is your standing in a group, based on your relative prestige. Role-identities, in this context, are the meanings we attach to our positions in a group. Status characteristics theory (SCT) will be used to inform our understanding of this specific group setting. The goals of this doctoral dissertation research project are to: 1) provide a test of SCT in this setting; 2) integrate the emergence of trust into SCT related research; and 3) integrate role-identity theory into SCT. These will be achieved by making modifications to a standard experimental setting used in this line of research. Broader ImpactThe results of this laboratory experiment will extend our understanding of SCT, role-identities, and trust as these have not been examined concurrently. By understanding these relationships, we gain insight into how trust is shaped in occupations primarily engaged with providing expert advice to others ? professionals. Trust in professionals has generally been on the decline, a trend with important implications for not only sociology, but also the fields of these professionals (e.g., medicine, law, psychology, education). Research illuminating these processes might eventually point to ways that will restore trust in professionals, a condition particularly important for patients since trust in the medical care provider can have dramatic effects on health outcome.