Social power and approach-related neural activity

Abstract

It has been argued that power activates a general tendency to approach whereas powerlessness activates a tendency to inhibit. The assumption is that elevated power involves reward-rich environments, freedom and, as a consequence, triggers an approach-related motivational orientation and attention to rewards. In contrast, reduced power is associated with increased threat, punishment and social constraint and thereby activates inhibition-related motivation. Moreover, approach motivation has been found to be associated with increased relative left-sided frontal brain activity, while withdrawal motivation has been associated with increased right sided activations. We measured EEG activity while subjects engaged in a task priming either high or low social power. Results show that high social power is indeed associated with greater left-frontal brain activity compared to low social power, providing the first neural evidence for the theory that high power is associated with approach-related motivation. We propose a framework accounting for differences in both approach motivation and goal-directed behaviour associated with different levels of power.

Neural processing of iterated prisoner’s dilemma outcomes indicates next-round choice and speed to reciprocate cooperation

“…Left bias measures are typically expressed in terms of alpha-band oscillatory power 148 , particularly of dorsolateral PFC 149 sources, and such band activity has been considered to negatively correlate with cortical processing 150,151 . In agreement with the approach motivation interpretation, there are reports of left prefrontal EEG modulation in cooperative interpersonal tasks relating self-perception of social ranking 152 or power 153,154 for instance. Thus, it appears our findings might also be consistent with the interpretation that co-player cooperation may induce an approach-oriented state towards the partner.…”

When Low Power Meets Status: Powerlessness Triggers Behavioral Inhibition Only Under Low Status

“…Neural evidence consistently indicates that experiences of submission are associated with enhanced activity of right-frontal areas that regulate inhibition-related behaviors (Boksem, Smolders, & Cremer, 2012;Demaree, Everhart, Youngstrom, & Harrison, 2005). This association is also manifested in behavioral measures, such as the line bisection task showing that being powerless triggers activation of the right hemisphere, consequently inducing an attentional bias to left spaces (Wilkinson, Guinote, Weick, Molinari, & Graham, 2010).…”

The Neural Basis of Optimism and Pessimism

“…external locus-of-control). This writing assignment evoked corresponding feelings of being powerful or powerless, and the former group's EEG measurements revealed a greater activity in the left frontal cortex [45]. In contrast, the latter group showed a greater tendency to bisect horizontal lines to the left of the veridical center, as well as to bump into the right wall while walking through a narrow corridor - perceptual biases indicating a RH dominance [46].…”