270245 Power in the Social World and in the Lab (BS) (SoSe 2015)

The course "Power in the Social World and in the Lab" is a research seminar divided into two parts. In the first part students get acquainted with classical and contemporary psychological theories and research on social power. This part covers six broad research topics: consequences and metamorphic effects of power, motivation for leadership and power, power embodiment, the role of gender and personal characteristics in power relations. Students learn about various concepts of power, different motivations for leadership, and socio-psychological consequences of having high power position in perception, decision-making, attitudes, and behavior. They learn about the role of everyday gestures in creating social reality via feeling of power, and the role of personal characteristics (like gender, height or facial features) in creating and perpetuating social hierarchies and social status quo. During this part students start working in groups on the theoretical parts of their projects. In the second part students learn how to measure and manipulate power, work on the empirical parts of their proposals, and present them.

Requirements for participation, required level

Working knowledge of English - essential
Completion of a course in Methodology (of social sciences) - desirable
Completion of a course in Social Psychology or Political Psychology - desirable

Bibliography

arney, D. R., Cuddy, A. J. C., & Yap, A. J. (2010). Power posing. Psychological Science, 21(10), 1363 –1368. doi:10.1177/0956797610383437
Cislak, A. (2013). Effects of power on social perception: All your boss can see is agency. Social Psychology, 44, 139–147. doi:10.1027/1864-9335/a000139
Duguid, M. M., & Goncalo, J. A. (2011). Living Large: The Powerful Overestimate Their Own Height. Psychological Science, 23, 36–40. doi:10.1177/0956797611422915
Formanowicz, M., Bedynska, S., Cisłak, A., Braun, F., & Sczesny, S. (2013). Side effects of gender-fair language: How feminine job titles influence the evaluation of female applicants. European Journal of Social Psychology, 43(1), 62–71. doi:10.1002/ejsp.1924
Gruenfeld, D. H., Inesi, M. E., Magee, J. C., & Galinsky, A. D. (2008). Power and the objectification of social targets. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 95(1), 111–127. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.95.1.111
Keltner, D. J., Gruenfeld, D. H., & Anderson, C. (2003). Power, approach, and inhibition. Psychological Review, 110, 265–284. doi:10.1037/0033-295X.110.2.265
Koenig, A. M., Eagly, A. H., Mitchell, A. A., & Ristikari, T. (2011). Are leader stereotypes masculine? A meta-analysis of three research paradigms. Psychological Bulletin, 137(4), 616–642. doi:10.1037/a0023557
Moss-Racusin, C. A., Dovidio, J. F., Brescoll, V. L., Graham, M. J., & Handelsman, J. (2012). Science faculty’s subtle gender biases favor male students. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. doi:10.1073/pnas.1211286109
Sassenberg, K., Ellemers, N., & Scheepers, D. (2012). The attraction of social power: The influence of construing power as opportunity versus responsibility. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 48(2), 550–555. doi:10.1016/j.jesp.2011.11.008
Schubert, T. W. (2004). The Power in Your Hand: Gender Differences in Bodily Feedback From Making a Fist. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 30(6), 757–769. doi:10.1177/0146167204263780