In order to test the prediction that competence-related behaviour as measured by rejection of influence, would be higher for participants exposed to the traditional subtype than it would for those exposed to the modern subtype, an independent samples t-test was conducted. While this indicated that rejection of influence did not differ significantly between groups (t(38) = 1.48, p > 0.05), an inspection of the means (Table 12), revealed that those exposed to the traditional subtype tended to reject influence more than those exposed to the modern subtype.
| Traditional Subtype Partner | Modern Subtype Partner | Female Partner (Overall levels) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| M | 0.62 | 0.54 | 0.58 |
| SD | 0.16 | 0.14 | 0.15 |
| Range | 0.30-0.88 | 0.33-0.83 | 0.30-0.88 |
| N | 20 | 20 | 40 |
This finding can therefore be seen to lend partial support to the current prediction, that rejection of influence rates would be higher for those exposed to the traditional subtype than it would for those exposed to the modern subtype. Further, this result suggests that differential stereotypic information, such as that implied by the descriptions of the traditional and modern subtypes, serves to differentiate competence-related behaviour.
In order to ascertain whether the trend evident in the competence-related behaviour was reflected in direct expectations of partner's competency, the levels of own ability relative to partner in each of the subtype conditions were analysed (Table 13).
| M | SD | |
|---|---|---|
| Own ability relative to partner | ||
| Traditional subtype (n=20) | 27.5 | 6.68 |
| Modern subtype(n=20) | 25.3 | 5.27 |
| Overall | 26.4 | 5.98 |
Note. These responses were measured on a scale from 1-60.
These results (Table 13) indicate little variation in participants' expectations for competence between subtype conditions (t(38) = 1.16, p > 0.05). As such, it would be expected that if the relationship between stereotyping and competence-related behaviour was mediated by these expectations for competence, results would show little difference to those obtained across all participants.