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Relative power and interpersonal trust
Christilene du Plessis1, My Hoang Bao Nguyen1, Trevor A Foulk2
1Lee Kong Chian School of Business.
Unequal power in relationships decreases trust because it signals a conflict of interest. This effect is specifically tied to relative power, not personal feelings of power, and can be altered by intergroup competition.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Relationship Science
- Behavioral Economics
Background:
- Trust is crucial for relationships, yet the link between power dynamics and trust is unclear.
- Existing research lacks a systematic analysis of how relative power distribution within dyads affects trust.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of relative power distribution on interpersonal trust.
- To test the hypothesis that unequal power dyads experience less trust due to heightened conflict of interest perceptions.
Main Methods:
- Conducted eight main studies and 16 supplemental studies (N=10,531), including preregistered designs.
- Employed mediation and moderation analyses to examine the underlying mechanisms.
- Differentiated between relative power (interpersonal) and felt power (intrapersonal).
Main Results:
- Relative power, not felt power, significantly impacts interpersonal trust.
- Unequal power dyads exhibited lower trust compared to equal power dyads.
- Perceived conflict of interest mediated the relationship between relative power and trust.
- Intergroup competition attenuated the effect of relative power on trust.
Conclusions:
- Relative power dynamics significantly shape interpersonal trust, primarily through perceived conflicts of interest.
- Both high- and low-power individuals may experience similar trust deficits in unequal power relationships.
- Contextual factors, such as intergroup competition, can moderate the influence of power on trust.
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