The Effect of Instructor Gender and Race/Ethnicity on Gaining Compliance in the Classroom 1

How instructors' gender and race impacts their ability to gain compliance in the classroom when utilizing various bases of social power was investigated using a 2 × 2 × 3 between‐subjects design. Male and female participants (n = 297) completed the Interpersonal Power Inventory while viewing a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of applied social psychology Vol. 34; no. 5; pp. 937 - 958
Main Authors Elias, Steven M., Loomis, Ross J.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published 01.05.2004
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Summary:How instructors' gender and race impacts their ability to gain compliance in the classroom when utilizing various bases of social power was investigated using a 2 × 2 × 3 between‐subjects design. Male and female participants (n = 297) completed the Interpersonal Power Inventory while viewing a photo depicting an instructor. The instructors depicted were male or female of varying ethnicities (Caucasian, African American, and Latino). Results indicated that instructor gender and race influenced student compliance rates when soft (subtle and noncoercive) bases of power were utilized. With regard to individual power bases, student gender, instructor gender, instructor race, and the Instructor Gender × Instructor Race interaction were found to impact compliance rates. Implications for classroom instructors, as well as other powerholders, are discussed.
ISSN:0021-9029
1559-1816
DOI:10.1111/j.1559-1816.2004.tb02578.x