Lecture 19: Power and Violence Flashcards
power
the ability to exert influence on the other partner to obtain desired outcomes, and being able to resist their influence
influence strategies
various methods or tactics that individuals use to affect the behaviours, thoughts, or feelings of others
2 dimensions of influence strategies
valence & directness
valence
use or promise of rewards vs. punishments (positive vs. negative)
directness
overt, visible, unambiguous, vs. more subtle (direct vs. indirect)
types of negative direct strategies
coercion & autocracy
coercion
- Criticism, blame
- Indicate negative consequences, threaten punishment
- Express negative affect
- Yelling, cursing
autocracy
- Make clear demands from a position of authority
- Exert superiority, invalidate partner
- Patronizing, sarcasm, condescending, interrupt, reject partner’s arguments
types of negative indirect strategies
manipulation & negative affect without explanation
manipulation
- Attempt to make the partner feel guilty (ex. Remind of past favours or partner transgressions, appeal to obligations, commitments, or fairness)
- Appeal to partner’s love and concern
negative affect without explanation
Silent treatment, sulking, pouting
types of positive direct strategies
use of logic or rational reasoning
use of logic or rational reasoning
- Explain behaviour or point of view in a way the partner would find reasonable
- Ex. suggest solutions, assess consequences, weight pros and cons
types of positive indirect strategies
soft positive
soft positive
- Soften persuasion attempts pointing out good characteristics of partner, minimizing problem
- Encourage partner to express point of view & feelings about the situation
- Be open to, acknowledge, and validate partner’s views
- Be charming & express positive affect (ex. Non-snarky humour)
Partner regulation attempts
- When our partners try to change us
- Communicates that we are not living up to a partner’s ideal
- In general, we don’t like this
impact of influence strategies on relationships
- How it is done matters
- Negative influence strategies can convey contempt & disregard, escalate conflict, and lead to more negative evaluations of relationship quality. This is particularly detrimental when facing minor problems
- Indirect strategies may lack sufficient force, resulting in the problem going unsolved
- Positive influence strategies can offset negative effects of regulation behaviour, convey care and regard
Social power theory
there are 6 bases (sources) of power
reward power
- The target perceives that an agent has the ability to provide them with desired rewards if they adopt certain beliefs, attitudes, or behaviours the agent desires
- Often associated with the use of positive reinforcement
coercive power
- the target perceives that the agent has the power to punish them for doing something the agent doesn’t like or not doing something the agent wants
- Ex. threats of punishment
legitimate power
- the target perceives that the agent has the right to affect the target, who must then comply with the agent’s request
- Influenced by social norms
Norm of social responsibility
we are obligated to help those who cannot help themselves
Norm of reciprocity
do unto others as they have done unto us
referent power
the target wants to emulate the agent, who is someone they admire greatly
Expert power
the target perceives that the agent has the ability to provide them with valuable knowledge (in a broad sense)
Informational power
the target perceives that the agent has specific information that may be useful to the target, but the target must cooperate with the agent to get it
6 types of social power
- reward power
- coercive power
- legitimate power
- referent power
- expert power
- informational power
interdependence theory & power
- Offers a more dyadic account of power
- In an interdependent relationship, partners depend on each other for outcomes
- This means that they typically have power over each other (counterpower)
- They exercise different amounts of power in different domains
- Recall that dependence = outcomes - Clalt
- Thus, partners who have better alternatives to the current relationship have greater power
- Likely to eventually leave the relationship unless the partner can provide them with special outcomes
Principle of lesser interest
the partner who is less dependent on the relationship and who desires it less has more power in the relationship