The experience of power: examining the effects of power on approach and inhibition tendencies

Two studies of task-focused dyads tested the Approach / Inhibition Theory of power (Keltner, Gruenfeld, & Anderson, in press), which posits that having high power increases the tendency to approach, whereas having low power increases the tendency to inhibit. Results provided preliminary support for the theory: Participants higher in personality dominance or who were assigned control over resources expressed their true attitudes, experienced more positive emotion, and were more likely to perceive rewards (i.e., that their partners liked them). In contrast, participants lower in personality dominance or given no control over resources inhibited themselves from expressing their attitudes, felt more negative emotion, and were more likely to perceive threats (e.g., that their partners felt anger toward them). Most of these effects were mediated by the sense of power, suggesting that subjective feelings of power are an important component in the effects of power.