Expectation States and Interracial Interaction in School Settings

Expectation States Theory has been in use since 1968 as the basis for applied research on race and its effect on interracial interaction (Berger et al 1980). The theory can be used to describe the process by which high-status members of interracial groups come to dominate group interaction. There are a number of interventions, using this theory, designed to modify status effects in settings where they are judged undesirable. In the classroom, expectation states affect several observable behaviors of practical importance. The first is a pattern of white dominance in interracial interaction on valued intellectual tasks. This pattern is undesirable because racist expectations for less competence from black and brown students are reinforced. These are not the equal status that designers of school integration have tried to produce to reduce prejudice. Under these conditions, white students fail to learn what minority students have to contribute to collective endeavor. If white dominance in the outer society is replicated within the desegregated school, the goal of social equality is not achieved. The second area affected by expectation states is the participation, task engagement, and effort of the minority student in school tasks. If a student has generally low expectations for academic competence s/he will be less likely to put out the requisite effort to become a more successful student. Increased initiation and participation represent necessary but not sufficient conditions for improvement in academic achievement.