Does Power Corrupt or Enable? When and Why Power Facilitates Self-Interested Behavior

• Published in: Journal of applied psychology Vol. 97; no. 3; pp. 681 - 689
• Main Authors: DECELLES, Katherine A, SCOTT DERUE, D, MARGOLIS, Joshua D, CERANIC, Tara L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Psychological Association 01-05-2012
• Subjects: Adult; Behavioural psychology; Biological and medical sciences; Ego; Employment - psychology; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Human; Humans; Identity; Interpersonal Control; Male; Middle Aged; Moral aspects; Moral Development; Moral identity; Morality; Morals; Occupational psychology; Organizational behavior; Power; Power (Psychology); Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Self interest; Self-Concept; Selfinterest; Social Behavior; Studies; Surveys; Surveys and Questionnaires; Work condition. Job performance. Stress; Young Adult; Social environment; Human; Personal experience; Occupational environment; commons dilemma; Social power; moral identity; moral awareness; self-interested behavior; power; Moral science
• ISSN: 0021-9010; 1939-1854
• DOI: 10.1037/a0026811

Does power corrupt a moral identity, or does it enable a moral identity to emerge? Drawing from the power literature, we propose that the psychological experience of power, although often associated with promoting self-interest, is associated with greater self-interest only in the presence of a weak moral identity. Furthermore, we propose that the psychological experience of power is associated with less self-interest in the presence of a strong moral identity. Across a field survey of working adults and in a lab experiment, individuals with a strong moral identity were less likely to act in self-interest, yet individuals with a weak moral identity were more likely to act in self-interest, when subjectively experiencing power. Finally, we predict and demonstrate an explanatory mechanism behind this effect: The psychological experience of power enhances moral awareness among those with a strong moral identity, yet decreases the moral awareness among those with a weak moral identity. In turn, individuals' moral awareness affects how they behave in relation to their self-interest.