The Social Psychology of Power

by Ana Guinote PhD (Editor), Theresa K. Vescio PhD (Editor)

Overview

Addressing an issue of central concern in social life, this authoritative book examines how having or lacking power influences the way individuals and groups think, feel, and act. Leading international experts comprehensively review classic and contemporary research with an eye toward bridging gaps across theories and levels of analysis. Compelling topics include the evolutionary bases of power; its effects on physiological processes, cognitive abilities, and health; what sorts of people are given power; when, how, and whom power corrupts; and power dynamics in gender, social class, and ethnic relations. The integrative concluding chapter presents a cogent agenda for future research.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781606236208
Publisher:	Guilford Publications, Inc.
Publication date:	04/27/2010
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	469
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Ana Guinote, PhD, is Associate Professor of Psychology at University College London, United Kingdom. Her research and publications focus on power, status, and minorities—in particular, how social asymmetries affect basic and high-order cognition, and how this in turn affects goal pursuit, social judgments, behavior variability, and responsiveness to situational affordances. Dr. Guinote is an Associate Editor of the British Journal of Social Psychology and serves on the Steering Committee of the European Social Cognition Network.  Theresa K. Vescio, PhD, is Associate Professor of Psychology and Women’s Studies at The Pennsylvania State University. Her research and publications address the relation between power and the expression of sexism, racism, ageism, and heterosexism. Dr. Vescio is a recipient of the Gordon Allport Intergroup Relations Prize, awarded by the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues, Division 9 of the American Psychological Association. She is an Associate Editor of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology: Interpersonal Relations and Group Processes and serves on the editorial boards of several other journals in the field.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Power in Social Psychology, Ana Guinote and Theresa K. Vescio

I. Concepts, Theoretical Perspectives, and Basic Mechanisms

1. Concepts and Historical Perspectives on Power, Jennifer R. Overbeck

2. The Emergence of Simple and Complex Power Structures through Social Niche Construction, Christopher Boehm and Jessica C. Flack

3. Dominance and Health: The Role of Social Rank in Physiology and Illness, Jacqueline J. Rivers and Robert A. Josephs

4. Power in the Person: Exploring the Motivational Underground of Power, David G. Winter

5. The Situated Focus Theory of Power, Ana Guinote

II. Power in Interaction: The Negotiation of a Shared Reality

6. Paradoxes of Power: Dynamics of the Acquisition, Experience, and Social Regulation of Social Power, Dacher Keltner, Deborah Gruenfeld, Adam Galinsky, and Michael W. Kraus

7. Paradoxical Power Manifestations: Power Assertion by the Subjectively Powerless, Daphne Blunt Bugental

8. Power and Social Perception, Ann Marie Russell and Susan T. Fiske

9. Legitimacy, Social Identity, and Power, Russell Spears, Ronni Greenwood, Soledad de Lemus, and Joseph Sweetman

10. Power as Charismatic Leadership: A Significant Opportunity (and a Modest Proposal) for Social Psychology Research, Francis J. Flynn

III. Power in Intergroup Relations

11. The System Justification Motive and the Maintenance of Social Power, Aaron C. Kay, Jillian Chalmers Banfield, and Kristin Laurin

12. Power and Racism, P. J. Henry and Felicia Pratto

13. Power and Sexism, Theresa K. Vescio, Kristine A. Schlenker, and Joshua G. Lenes

14. Immigration and Power, Kay Deaux and Nida Bikmen

15. Social Class and Power, Heather E. Bullock and Bernice Lott

16. Power: New Understandings and Future Directions, Theresa K. Vescio and Ana Guinote

Interviews

Social and personality psychologists. May serve as a supplemental text in courses in the psychology of prejudice, psychology of gender, and psychology of ethnic and racial minorities.

Editorial Reviews

"Quite possibly the single most indispensable work on the dynamics of power. Approaching the problem of power from the vantage points of diverse theories, the contributors illuminate the workings of power—how it is understood in the minds of those with and without power, how it guides the actions of individuals and groups, and how it is woven into the fabric of society. A 'must read' for students and scholars alike, this book makes clear why, as Bertrand Russell observed many years ago, power is the fundamental concept of social science."—Mark Snyder, PhD, McKnight Presidential Chair in Psychology and Director, Center for the Study of the Individual and Society, University of Minnesota

"Guinote and Vescio have assembled a distinguished collection of scholars to offer a current and comprehensive analysis. The volume sheds new light on a traditionally central topic in psychology. The quality of the chapters is excellent, and collectively the volume provides new theoretical perspectives and insights. This well-structured volume will make a significant and lasting contribution."—John F. Dovidio, PhD, Department of Psychology, Yale University

"This volume takes theory and research on power a huge step forward. Coverage ranges from basic mechanisms and conceptual issues to consequences of power. It spans multiple levels of analysis, looking at how power is implicated in social perception, social interaction, and intergroup relations. This book synthesizes research in the field to date and will define the study of power in social psychology for years to come."—Miles Hewstone, PhD, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, United Kingdom

From the Publisher

"An excellent reference source for those seeking a comprehensive survey of the latest literature on the topic. Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals."

Choice

"An excellent reference source for those seeking a comprehensive survey of the latest literature on the topic. Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals."--Choice Reviews

Choice Reviews