Waning of stereotypic perceptions in small groups: Identity negotiation and erosion of gender expectations of women

Changes in the gender-stereotypic perceptions of men and women were examined in a prospective study of MBA study groups (N = 253). At the outset of the semester, group members perceived women, as compared to men, as more "communal" (other-focused) but equally "agentic" (self-focused). Over the subsequent 9 weeks, gender-stereotypic perceptions of women faded. The extent to which group members individuated one another at the outset of the semester predicted the extent to which they developed appraisals that verified their partners' self-views. These identity negotiation processes, in turn, predicted change in Stereotypic perceptions.