The new fly-catching club elects Wilberforce, a hard-working but now retired sociology professor, as their first president. Marina, a sensible and experienced fly-catcher, who has always been unemployed, would have liked that job but knew that she had little chance. The members' decision was probably a case of:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The members likely elected Wilberforce based on his status as a retired sociology professor, assuming his general status characteristics would translate well into the specific task of leading the fly-catching club, despite his lack of direct experience in fly-catching. This is an example of diffuse status characteristics being generalized to a specific task.

The New Fly-Catching Club Elects Wilberforce, a Hard-Working but Now