AN EXPERIMENTAL EXAMINATION OF BIOLOGICAL SEX AS A STATUS CUE IN DECISION-MAKING GROUPS AND ITS INFLUENCE ON INFORMATION USE

The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of biological sex as a nonverbal indicator of status on the use of information in a dec ision-making group. Drawing on status characteristics theory, this art icle posits that the sex of the group member who introduces a piece of information into discussion affects the likelihood of the information 's use in making a decision. More specifically the author hypothesizes that information introduced by males has a higher probability of use than information introduced by females. The results of the statistical analyses support the hypothesis. Furthermore, if the information is k nown to ail members of the group before discussion, the sex of the gro up member who introduces a in the discussion has less impact on its us e than if the information is unique to one member.