Theoretical assumptions of status characteristics theory (Berger et al., 1977)
Salience: A status characteristic becomes activated (salient) if members of the group are differentiated according to at least two levels of the characteristic.
Burden of Proof: Any salient status characteristic will lead actors to form expectations for task competence unless the characteristic is explicitly disassociated from the collective task.
Sequencing: The status structure develops as actors enter or exit the interactional setting. When a new actor enters the interaction, her or his status-relevant information is incorporated into the structure of the situation. When an actor exits the interaction, her or his status-relevant information remains a part of the informational structure.
Formation of Aggregated Expectation States: Actors combine all relevant status information into positive and negative “subsets,” and these subsets are combined to form a total aggregated expectation state value. According to the attenuation principle, the introduction of multiple consistent paths attenuates the relative contribution of each consistent path.
Basic Expectation Assumption: Each actors’ position within the observable power and prestige order that emerges within a group is a direct function of her or his expectation advantage/ disadvantage relative to other group members.