title: Social power facilitates the effect of prosocial orientation on empathic accuracy.
abstract: Power increases the tendency to behave in a goal-congruent fashion. Guided by this theoretical notion, we hypothesized that elevated power would strengthen the positive association between prosocial orientation and empathic accuracy. In 3 studies with university and adult samples, prosocial orientation was more strongly associated with empathic accuracy when distinct forms of power were high than when power was low. In Study 1, a physiological indicator of prosocial orientation, respiratory sinus arrhythmia, exhibited a stronger positive association with empathic accuracy in a face-to-face interaction among dispositionally high-power individuals. In Study 2, experimentally induced prosocial orientation increased the ability to accurately judge the emotions of a stranger but only for individuals induced to feel powerful. In Study 3, a trait measure of prosocial orientation was more strongly related to scores on a standard test of empathic accuracy among employees who occupied high-power positions within an organization. Study 3 further showed a mediated relationship between prosocial orientation and career satisfaction through empathic accuracy among employees in high-power positions but not among employees in lower power positions. Discussion concentrates upon the implications of these findings for studies of prosociality, power, and social behavior.
authors.affiliation: Joseph L. Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. scote@rotman.utoronto.ca
authors.forename: Stéphane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Côté
authors.forename: Michael W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Kraus
authors.forename: Bonnie Hayden
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Oveis
authors.forename: Ilmo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: van der Löwe
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lian
authors.forename: Dacher
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Keltner
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002140:California; D004645:Empathy; D004651:Employment / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009864:Ontario; D009949:Orientation; D011209:Power, Psychological; D012919:Social Behavior; D055815:Young Adult