Power in the absence of status could be ‘toxic’: study

People who possess power but lack status have usually engage in activities that demean others.

Ever wondered why government clerks are more often than not very rude and condescending?

If a new study is to be believed,it is because individuals in roles that possess power but lack status have a tendency to engage in activities that demean others.

According to the study,the combination of some authority and little perceived status could be a toxic combination.

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To test their theses,the authors conducted an experiment with students who were told they would be interacting with a fellow student in a business exercise and were randomly assigned to either a high-status ‘Idea Producer’ role or low-status ‘Worker’ role.

Then these individuals were asked to select activities from a list of 10 for the others to perform; some of the tasks were more demeaning than others.

The experiment demonstrated that individuals in high-power/low-status roles chose more demeaning activities for their partners (e.g.,bark like a dog three times) than did those in any other combination of power and status roles.

Our findings indicate that the experience of having power without status,whether as a member of the military or a college student participating in an experiment,may be a catalyst for producing demeaning behaviours that can destroy relationships and impede goodwill, the researchers conclude.

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The study will be published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology.