Power may be defined as the ability to

produce intended effects.

 
Power is the ability to satisfy one's
wants through the control of
preferences and/or opportunities.
 Power is "the processual relation between two parties modally
characterized by (1) asymmetric influence, in which a perceptible
probability of decision rests in one of the two parties, even over
the resistance of the other party; and (2) the predominance of
negative sanctions (threatened or actual) as a feature of
behavior in the dominant party"

 Power "is the process of affecting policies of others with the help
of (actual or threatened) severe deprivations for nonconformity
with the policies intended"
  
 Power: "its inner reality, the thing without which it cannot be:
that essence is command"
  
 "Power is the ability to cause or prevent change"
  
 So many diverse views of power suggest something pervasive,
which like the fabled elephant and the blind men feeling different
parts, manifests itself in many different forms. Which form is
apprehended clearly depends on the approach and purpose of a
study.
Power motive involves the need to be
in control, to have prestige and status
and to get others to conform to our
wishes.

It is a learned motive unique to human

species

It exerts its effect on behavior in many

different contexts
Activation- it is the initiation of
behavior stimulated by the intense
desire to gain power
E.g. the quest for independence was
activated by ex-service men who had
witnessed the 2nd world war and India’s
struggle for their independence.
Persistence- it is the continuous effort
to achieve a goal (power) often in the
face of obstacle.
E.g. Ghana’s struggle for independence
was engaged by individuals who were
persistent in the face of colonial
opposition.

Intensity- refers to the degree of

response
Adler (1908) proposed a drive, ”masculine
protest” , a drive to compensate for
inferiority by striving to achieve power.
E.g. Adolf Hitler, rose to power in
Germany during the 1920s and early
1930s at a time of social, political, and
economic upheaval. Once in power, he
eliminated all opposition and launched an
ambitious program of world domination
and elimination of the Jews, he died a
broken and defeated man 12years later. It
is a known fact that Hitler was abused by
his father as a child
His childhood
experiences.

What were
his motives?
Power motives do not derive directly from
basic biological factors as do hunger, thirst
and to some extent sexuality

Hypothalamus mediates motivation and

emotion and the limbic system
coordinates behavior to satisfy these
urges.
We arrived at the conclusion that any
dysfunction in these two structures will
have influence on a person’s motivation
and thus his power motivation.
Women were less desirous of power as
compared to men two decades ago
thus men were more likely to occupy
power positions but that has changed a
lot since the famous Beijing
conference.
The economic status of an individual
can be an important determinant.
People with high financial status tend
to wield more power than those of
lower financial status.
Maslow’s theory of needs??
 Social learning
Leon Festinger (1954). Interaction with
people In influential positions can
determine level of motivation to
acquire power.
 
Cultural
In England being a member of the royal
family lands you in a powerful position,
as against being born into an ordinary
family.
Also the chieftancy system in our local
culture selects chief from particular
families only.
One’s environment, opportunities in life
often determines the kind of
experiences one will gain and this has a
bearing on ones level of power
motivation.
Do individual differences in power
motives really matter? In other words
do persons high and low in power
motives have contrasting life
experiences?
As you might expect , individuals high
in this motivation tend to earn more
rapid promotions, get higher grades in
school and attain greater success in
running their own businesses than
persons low in such
motivation(Andrews,1967;Raynor 1970)
Thematic Apperception Test or TAT
is a projective psychological tests that
taps a subject's unconscious to reveal
repressed aspects of personality,
motives and needs for achievement,
power and intimacy, and problem-
solving abilities.
 GENDER
 Men are known to express power by dominating
women, drinking heavily, sexually exploitative
manners and competition in sports
 Women express it through restrained manners.
Women in a high need for power are more apt to
than men to channel their power needs in a
socially responsible manner. (Winter 1988)
 
 
 Socio-economic status??
Power motives leads to the display of
aggression.

Block of power expression may result in

aggression.