Doctoral Dissertation Research: Weight-based Discrimination and Group Interactions: An Expansion of Status Characteristics Theory

SES-1602839Carla GoarBobbie Reidinger肯特州立大学本研究通过测试体重是否表现为一种状态特征来检验体重对任务导向群体的影响;具体来说，它是否作为一种差异化特征被激活，组织绩效期望，并影响任务行为。 使用标准的实验设置，体重对社会过程的影响是通过检查的影响来衡量的。 在这些实验中，不同体重的参与者将根据实验条件与他们的合作伙伴一起完成两项任务。在考虑了他们的搭档之后？每个参与者除了提交个人答案外，还将提交最后的小组报告。 参与者接受或拒绝伴侣的频率如何？的答案允许一定程度的影响。据推测，无论参与者的体重如何，合作伙伴的体重都会直接影响力的测量。 新兴的肥胖研究领域表明，肥胖在美国社会中具有超越种族、性别和阶级类别的负面社会影响;然而，体重在社会学的社会心理学文献中并没有被探索为一种地位特征。将体重作为一种分散的地位特征进行研究，将扩展社会学社会心理学文献，特别是期望状态和地位特征理论，以及新兴的脂肪研究领域。 更深入的理论理解将加强对基于体重的歧视和群体互动的研究。随着对群体依赖的增长，有必要增加对影响群体互动的特征的理解。拟议研究的结果可能导致制定和实施社会干预措施，以减少不同群体中基于体重的歧视。

SES-1602839Carla GoarBobbie ReidingerKent State UniversityThis research examines the impact of body weight in task-oriented groups by testing whether weight behaves as a status characteristic; specifically, whether it serves as a differentiating characteristic that becomes activated, organizes performance expectations, and impacts task behaviors. Using a standard experimental setting, the impact of weight on social processes is measured through an examination of influence. In these experiments, differently weighted participants will work with their partner, dependent on the experimental condition, to complete two tasks. After considering their partner?s responses, each participant will submit a final group report in addition to their individual answers. How often a participant accepts or rejects their partner?s answers allows for a measure of influence. It is hypothesized that the weight of the partner will directly impact measures of influence regardless of the weight of the participant. The emerging field of fat studies suggests that fatness has negative social implications within American society which transcend racial, gender, and class categories; however, weight has not been explored as a status characteristic in the sociological social psychological literature. An examination of weight as a diffuse status characteristic will expand the sociological social psychological literature, specifically expectation states and status characteristic theories, as well as the emerging field of fat studies. Greater theoretical understanding will enhance research on weight-based discrimination and group interactions. As reliance on groups grows, increased understanding of characteristics which influence group interactions is necessary. Results from the proposed study may lead to the creation and implementation of social interventions to reduce weight-based discrimination within diverse groups.