Abstract
Eight studies found a robust negative relationship between the experience of power and the experience of loneliness. Dispositional power and loneliness were negatively correlated (Study 1). Experimental inductions established causality: we manipulated high versus low power through autobiographical essays, assignment to positions, or control over resources, and found that each manipulation showed that high versus low power decreased loneliness (Studies 2a-2c). We also demonstrated both that low power can increase loneliness and that high power can decrease loneliness by comparing these conditions to a baseline condition (Studies 3-4, 6). Furthermore, we establish a key mechanism that explains this effect, demonstrating that the need to belong mediates the effect of power on loneliness (Studies 5-6). These findings help explain some effects of power on social cognition, offer insights into organizational well-being and motivation, and speak to the fundamental question of whether it is "lonely at the top" or lonelier at the bottom.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 69-78 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes |
Volume | 130 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Sep 1 2015 |
Keywords
- Leadership
- Loneliness
- Power
- Social processes
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Applied Psychology
- Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management