Week 4

week 4 is about power

Power is a relative capacity to modify others stated by providing or withholding resources or administering punishment

Asymmetric control over resources.

Macht ist eine relative Fähigkeit, andere zu verändern, indem man ihnen Ressourcen zur Verfügung stellt oder vorenthält oder Strafen verhängt.

the construal level can be low and high:

Low: concrete view

High: abstract view

Construal Level Theory (CLT) is a psychological theory that describes how the distance from an event influences our thinking about it. This "distance" can be temporal (time), spatial (physical space), social (relationship distance), or hypothetical (probability or likelihood). The theory suggests that the greater the distance, the more abstract and decontextualized our thinking becomes, whereas less distance leads to more concrete and detailed thinking.

behavioral activation system:

• activated by a higher power

• regulates behavior associated with rewards

  • focus on gains

  • positive emotions

  • lower inhibition (Hemmung)

  • more action

behavioral inhibition (Hemmung) system:

• activated by lower power

• regulates behavior in response to threats and punishments

  • focus on losses

  • negative emotions

  • higher inhibition

  • less action

overconfidence:

An inflated sense of confidence means someone is overestimating their knowledge/ abilities

Higher-power individuals tend to be more overconfident than lower-power individuals

Higher-power individuals tend to engage more likely in extramarital affairs

• accept less advice from others

• failed more questions

• loose more money

Power:

• boosts confidence

• enhances self-regulation (Verbessert die Selbstregulierung)

• magnifies self-expression (Verstärkt den Selbstausdruck)

• helps people to work towards their goals

Perspective-taking is the act of an individual being able to understand something from another perspective, like from another individual

Having power makes perspective-taking harder!

Three Dimensions

• Distributive justice - outcomes

• Procedural justice - decision-making processes

• Interactional justice - supervisor’s treatment

Tactics to reduce perceived inequity:

Psychological:

• Adjust perceptions of self

• Adjust perceptions of others

• Choose a different referent

Behavioral:

• Change their inputs

• Change their outcomes

• Leave the field

Instrumental voice = You can influence the decision

Symbolic voice = You can express your opinion

Why is voice important?

• Improves understanding

• Increases engagement and accountability

• Enhances motivation and decision acceptance

• Increases perceptions of fairness

So why don’t we do it more?

• Status differences (“I know better”)

• Avoid conflict (“This will open a can of worms!”)

• Challenging (“What if they don’t agree ....”)

• Incomplete view of people (“They only care about outcomes.”)

• Time & Energy (“I have better things to do than listen to…”)

• Lack of confidence (“This might show weakness, doubt”)