Lecture 3- Power

Question 1

What is the definition of power?

Answer 1

Having asymmetric control over valued resources in social relationships

Question 2

What are two perceptions on people with power as targets?

Answer 2

1. Powerful groups are attributed more positive traits than less powerful groups
2. Powerful groups are perceived as more variable than less powerful groups

Question 3

What can be at play in attributing more positive traits to more powerful people? (2)

Answer 3

1. Justification: people assume that people in a high position probably did something to deserve it
2. Halo effect: if somebody has one positive trait, you attribute them multiple positive traits

Question 4

What can be at play in perceiving powerful groups as more variable? (2)

Answer 4

1. the fundamental attribution error: gedrag dat je ziet toeschrijven aan iemands persoonlijkheid ipv de situatie
2. High power groups are at the center of attention –> more variation is seen

Question 5

What are two effects in people with power as perceivers?

Answer 5

1. Show more discrimination and greater in-group bias
2. Perceive less variability and use more stereotypes

Question 6

What is an explanation for the fact that people in power show more discrimination and in-group bias?

Answer 6

Social dominance orientation: people high in power think that they deserve to be in that position more, and people in low power deserve to be there

Question 7

What is an effect of people in power as actors?

Answer 7

Powerful individuals show less inhibition than less powerful individuals (flirting, talk longer, take more risk)

Question 8

What variables can influence social power? (4)

Answer 8

1. Individual variables (traits, physical characteristics etc)
2. Dyadic variables (interest in relationship, commitment)
3. Within-group variables (authority, status)
4. Between-group variables (gender, race,class)

Question 9

What effect does social power have on other variables?

Answer 9

1. Approach
2. Inhibition (low social power)

Question 10

What happens to approach in the case of social power? (4)

Answer 10

1. Attention to rewards
2. Positive emotion
3. Automatic cognition
4. Disinhibited behavior

Question 11

What happens to inhibition in the case of low social power? (4)

Answer 11

1. Attention to losses
2. Negative emotion
3. Systematic, controlled cognition
4. Inhibited behavior

Question 12

What are moderators of the effect of power? (5)

Answer 12

1. Stability of power relations
2. Perceived threat
3. Accountability
4. Individual differences
5. Cultural differences

Question 13

What is power as a psychological state?

Answer 13

You can make people feel like they have power even if this is not the case. Often used in experiments

Question 14

What are the results of the ‘hit me’ experiment?

Answer 14

High power participants chose to take a card more often than low-power participants. Low-power equal to baseline control condition

Question 15

What was the result of the ‘annoying fan’ experiment?

Answer 15

High-power participants were more likely to take action against the fan than low-power participants

Question 16

What does the commons dilemma entail?

Answer 16

Problem of consumption –> als 1 iemand het doet, heeft die persoon er veel profijt van, maar als iedereen het doet, raakt het op en heeft iedereen het slecht

Question 17

What does the public goods dilemma entail?

Answer 17

Problem of contribution –> action is something positive (contributing to shared resources)

Question 18

Wat is het verschil tussen het zien van power als opportunity of responsibility?

Answer 18

In responsibility wordt er meer advies aangenomen dan bij opportunity

Question 19

What does it look like when someone views power as a responsibility?

Answer 19

Power makes power holders having to take care of certain tasks or do what they feel is needed for others

Question 20

What does it look like when someone views power as an opportunity

Answer 20

How power enables power holders to do what they find important