Power

1
Power
Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power
corrupts absolutely. Lord Acton Whom the
gods would destroy, they first make mad with
power. Charles Beard Power is all
around us, continuously confirmed and contested,
and perceived with great accuracy Frans B. M.
de Waal
2
What Are the Limits of an Authority's Power over
Group Members?

• Which force is stronger power or hypnosis?
• Can people be compelled to act in ways they would
  never consider acting?
• How can we explain the Holocaust?
• Where does power come from?
• What would happen to you if you had lunch with
  someone from the Unificationist Church.

3
Milgrams Studies

• Rigged drawing (teacher, learner)
• Shock machine
• Basic condition series of errors, pounding on
  the wall at 300 volts, refused to answer at 315
  volts
• Prods "The experiment requires that you
  continue"

4
Results 65 obedience
450
Number of Participants Remaining at Each Shock
Level
5
Variations on the theme
6
Milgrams Studies

• Milgrams behavioral study of obedience to
  authority
• Other findings
• Harm and proximity
• Prestige
• Expertise of authority
• Group effects
• Methodological and ethical criticisms
• Application obedience and deference in flight
  crews

7
Zimbardo's Stanford Prison Study 1. Basic method
(Haney, Banks, Zimbardo, 1973).
Results study was aborted because situation
overpowered the subjects
8
What Are the Sources of Power in Groups?

• French Raven's power bases theory
• Reward rewards given or offered
• Coercive threaten or punish
• Legitimate sanctioned right to influence
• Referent identification, respect, and attraction
• Expert skills and abilities
• Informational access to and control of
  information

9
Cults People's Temple, Heavens Gates as examples
Brainwashing? No, most change is achieved
through subtle methods
10
How to be a cult leader

• Pratkanis and Aronson
• 1. Create your own social reality.
• --isolation
• --create an ideology, a myth
• 2. Create an ingroup, insiders (granfallon)
• 3. Create commitment (through dissonance
  reduction)

• 4. Enhance leaders power
• 5. Proselytize
• 6. Thought control, overload, distraction
• 7. Fix members on a goal

11
Effects of Power

• Power tactics how people get their way
• Direct (strong) vs. indirect (weak) tactics
• Rational (logic) vs. nonrational (emotional)
• Unilateral vs. bilateral
• Approach-inhibition model of power
• Power leads to approach behavior (positive
  affect, automatic processing, action)
• Powerlessness leads to inhibition (negative
  affect, controlled processing, inaction)

12
Corrupting Effects of Power

• Mandate phenomenon
• Changes in the perceptions of subordinates
• Reliance on power to influence others
• Michels iron law of oligarchy powerholders
  protect their power