Power and the pursuit of a partner's goals.
We investigated how power dynamics in close relationships influence the tendency to devote resources to the pursuit of goals valued by relationship partners, hypothesizing that low (vs. high) power in relationships would lead individuals to center their individual goal pursuit around the goals of their partners. We study 2 related phenomena: partner goal prioritization, whereby individuals pursue goals on behalf of their partners, and partner goal contagion, whereby individuals identify and adopt as their own the goals that their partner pursues. We tested our ideas in 5 studies that employed diverse research methods, including lab experiments and dyadic studies of romantic partners, and multiple types of dependent measures, including experience sampling reports, self-reported goal commitment, and behavioral goal pursuit in a variety of goal domains. Despite this methodological diversity, the studies provided clear and consistent evidence that individuals with low power in their relationships are especially likely to engage in both partner goal prioritization and partner goal contagion. (PsycINFO Database Record
Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Kristin
K
Laurin
Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University.
Gráinne M
GM
Fitzsimons
Department of Psychology, Northwestern University.
Eli J
EJ
Finkel
Department of Psychology, Northwestern University.
Kathleen L
KL
Carswell
Department of Psychology, University of Georgia.
Michelle R
MR
vanDellen
Department of Psychology, University of Cologne.
Wilhelm
W
Hofmann
Department of Psychology, University of the South Pacific.
Nathaniel M
NM
Lambert
Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Texas at Austin.
Paul W
PW
Eastwick
Family Institute, Florida State University.
Frank D
FD
Fincham
Family Institute, Florida State University.
Preston C
PC
Brown
D000328:Adult; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D011209:Power, Psychological; D012747:Sexual Partners / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult