EFFECT OF GENDER DOMINANCE EXPECTANCIES FOR KNOWLEDGE ON SELF-TOUCHING DURING CONVERSATIONS

We investigated how expectancies about gender dominance for knowledge influence the frequency of self-touching enacted by conversing members of mixed-sex dyads. The study was a 2 (male vs. female dyad member) x 2 (normatively male vs. female knowledge dominance) design. Two alter native hypotheses about the effects of normative expectancies for gend er-knowledge dominance on self-touching were evaluated. Normative expe ctation of knowledge deficiency could provoke greater performance conc erns and self-touching than a normative expectation of knowledge domin ance, or a normative expectation of knowledge dominance could provoke greater performance concerns and self-touching than a normative expect ation of knowledge deficiency. Results supported the latter alternativ e.