The self-regulatory and interpersonal consequences of the construal of power

权力解释的自我监管和人际后果

基本信息

批准号：
288701222
负责人：
Professor Dr. Kai Sassenberg
金额：
--
依托单位：
Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien (IWM)
依托单位国家：
德国
项目类别：
Research Grants
财政年份：
2016
资助国家：
德国
起止时间：
2015-12-31 至 2022-12-31
项目状态：
已结题

来源：
https://gepris.dfg.de/gepris/projekt/288701222?language=en
关键词：
self regulatory interpersonal consequences construal

项目摘要

Many social relations are characterized by social power: Some individuals have asymmetric control over resources (e.g., money, information) which other individuals depend on. This applies to societies, academia, public institutions, and other organizations. How does a powerful position alter social behavior? The media and public discussions often display social power as a corruptive force: Power-holders frequently seem to misuse their power to own ends (e.g., to secure personal benefits) while neglecting their responsibility for others. Substantial evidence from power research supports this idea: By providing relative freedom and opportunities, power seems to tempt individuals to act rather selfishly. Yet, there are also many examples of power-holders who seem highly sensitive to others and treat their subordinates considerately. Initial evidence, suggests, indeed, that power can - at times - be exercised responsibly thereby facilitating effective collaboration with subordinates. This highlights the importance of a responsible use of power to ensure organizational performance and the functioning of social relations. To today, however, a theoretical and empirical approach to explain when and how power-holders do become sensitive to others is lacking. The present research proposal addresses this gap. Social power (i.e., asymmetric control over others outcomes) provides the power-holder both with opportunities (e.g., to secure personal benefits) and responsibilities (e.g., to take care of oneself and others). Power-holders can be more or less aware of either of these two sides of power. In other words, high power can be construed (i.e., perceived) differently: as an opportunity or as a responsibility. How power is construed should, in turn, meaningfully impact the sensitivity to others in attention and behavior: Power construed as opportunity implies the experience of freedom and the possibilities to pursue one's current goals. As a consequence, power-holders construing their power as an opportunity should especially focus on and implement action towards the goal at hand (e.g., a current task), at the same time ignoring others' situation. In contrast, power construed as responsibility implies the experience of an inner obligation to take care of, for instance, decisions and those lower in power, in line with relevant standards (e.g., to act in an ethical manner). As such, power construed as responsibility should facilitate sensitivity to others. The present project tests this assumption by integrating construal of power into theories on social power. In doing so, we also investigate self-regulatory mechanisms (i.e., self-regulatory mode and implemental/deliberative mindset) and a moderator (i.e., positive/negative feedback) that may bring about these effects on sensitivity towards others. The project proposes and tests a theoretical framework that, for the first time, explains both potential positive and negative social implications of power.

许多社会关系的特点是社会权力：一些人对其他人所依赖的资源（例如金钱、信息）拥有不对称的控制。这适用于社团、学术界、公共机构和其他组织。强势地位如何改变社会行为？媒体和公众讨论经常将社会权力展示为一种腐败力量：当权者似乎经常滥用权力来达到自己的目的（例如，确保个人利益），同时忽视对他人的责任。权力研究的大量证据支持这一观点：通过提供相对自由和机会，权力似乎会诱使个人做出相当自私的行为。然而，也有很多当权者看上去对他人高度敏感，对待下属也很体贴的例子。事实上，初步证据表明，有时可以负责任地行使权力，从而促进与下属的有效合作。这凸显了负责任地使用权力以确保组织绩效和社会关系正常运转的重要性。然而，时至今日，仍缺乏理论和实证方法来解释当权者何时以及如何对他人变得敏感。目前的研究提案解决了这一差距。社会权力（即对他人结果的不对称控制）为权力持有者提供了机会（例如，确保个人利益）和责任（例如，照顾自己和他人）。掌权者可能或多或少地意识到权力的这两个方面。换句话说，高权力可以被不同地解释（即感知）：作为机会或责任。反过来，如何解释权力应该对他人的注意力和行为敏感度产生有意义的影响：权力被解释为机会意味着自由的体验和追求当前目标的可能性。因此，当权者将权力视为机会时，应该特别关注并实施行动以实现当前的目标（例如当前的任务），同时忽略他人的情况。相比之下，被解释为责任的权力意味着一种内在义务的体验，例如，按照相关标准（例如，以道德方式行事）来照顾决策和权力较低的人。因此，权力被视为责任，应该有助于提高对他人的敏感性。本项目通过将权力解释纳入社会权力理论来测试这一假设。在此过程中，我们还研究了可能对他人敏感度产生影响的自我监管机制（即自我监管模式和实施/审议心态）和调节因素（即积极/消极反馈）。该项目提出并测试了一个理论框架，该框架首次解释了权力潜在的积极和消极的社会影响。

项目成果

期刊论文数量（5）

专著数量（0）

科研奖励数量（0）

会议论文数量（0）

专利数量（0）

The Burden of Power: Construing Power as Responsibility (Rather Than as Opportunity) Alters Threat-Challenge Responses

DOI：
10.1177/0146167218757452
发表时间：
2018-03
期刊：
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin
影响因子：
4
作者：
Annika Scholl;Frank R C de Wit;N. Ellemers;Adam K. Fetterman;K. Sassenberg;D. Scheepers
通讯作者：
Annika Scholl;Frank R C de Wit;N. Ellemers;Adam K. Fetterman;K. Sassenberg;D. Scheepers

Responsible power-holders: when and for what the powerful may assume responsibility.

负责任的当权者：当权者何时以及为何可以承担责任