Preferences for behavioral style of minority and majority members who anticipate group interaction

The present research investigates whether prospective minority and majority members ascribe high effectiveness to particular behavioral styles in orde r to exert social influence in a forthcoming group interaction. It was hypo thesized that consistency, assertiveness, competence, and honesty would be rated as effective for minorities, whereas the role of agreeableness would be stressed for majorities. A behavioral-style inventory based on Bassili a nd Provencal (1988) showed sufficient reliability. The results confirmed th e hypotheses, and the implications of the actor-perspective on social influ ence is discussed.