Does power increase attention to rewards? Examining the brain and behavior
Enru Lin, Petra C. Schmid
Abstract
The experience of power has been theorized to increase attention to rewards, but is that really the case? Although this is a widespread assumption, no study has directly investigated the effects of power on attention to rewards. Moreover, the studies that investigated the effects of power on behavior related to rewards did not dissociate rewards from possible alternative goals. This paper thus examined directly whether power increases individuals' attention to rewards while removing/dissociating rewards from possible alternative goals. Through seven studies that used a multitude of paradigms and methods (i.e., self-report, concept activation, mouse-tracking, and electroencephalography), our results provide little support for the hypothesis that psychological power increases attention to rewards. Our main results are complemented with Bayesian analyses and a meta-analysis across studies. The findings of this paper are highly relevant to people seeking to explain the link between power and unethical behavior, where increased attention to rewards is thought to play a role. Our results suggest that other possible mechanisms need to be explored to determine the driver behind the actions of the powerful.