Doctoral Dissertation Research: An Experimental Test of the Theory of Reward Expectations: Goal Objects, Performance Expectations, and Group Structure

奖励期望理论解释了个体的社会相关特征如何决定了他们在集体任务组中对奖励的期望。该理论还预测了一个相反的过程，即一个群体内的奖励分配可以决定成员在该群体中的地位。这一过程的证据来自使用金钱或可兑换金钱的积分作为奖励的测试。然而，奖励期望理论是普遍的：它预测，分配不可交换的目标对象，如荣誉或头衔，也应该导致地位等级。这种重视地位的过程在最近关于创造地位特征的理论中是重要的。该项目将采用标准化实验程序的改编，使用不可交换的奖励来提供对反向过程预测的第一次直接测试。这项拟议的工作将作为制定研究计划的第一步，该计划旨在解决各种特征如何成为地位价值的问题。

Reward expectations theory explains how individuals' socially relevant characteristics can determine their expectations for rewards in collective task groups. The theory also predicts a reverse process, whereby the distribution of rewards within a group can determine members' status positions in that group. Evidence for the process has come from tests that used money, or points exchangeable for money, as rewards. However, the reward expectation theory is general: It predicts that distributing nonexchangeable goal objects, such as honors or titles, should also lead to status hierarchies. This status-valued process is important in recent theories addressing the creation of status characteristics. This project will employ an adaptation of a standardized experimental procedure using non-exchangeable rewards to provide the first direct test of reverse process predictions. The proposed work will serve as a first step in developing a research program that addresses how various characteristics become status valued.