Social Power and Interdependence

• Social Power encompasses the capacity to influence the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of others, to achieve personal objectives, and to withstand external influence.

Power and Interdependence

• Power stems from the regulation of valuable resources.
• Physical possession of resources is not necessary; control over access is sufficient.
• Power is amplified when others have a strong desire or need for the controlled resource.
• The Principle of Lesser Interest states that the person less invested in the relationship holds greater power.
• More alternatives means less power, dependence reduces power.
• Traditionally, men in marriages held more power due to working outside the home, increased chances of meeting someone, and more financial resources.
• There are two types of power: Fate and Behavior control

Fate Control

• One partner dictates the outcomes for the other, controlling their fate.
• An example is a wife deciding whether to engage in sexual activity with her husband controls his fate.

Behaviour Control

• Altering one's behavior to encourage a desired change in the partner's actions.
• A woman offering a backrub to her partner after cleaning the garage exemplifies behavior control.
• Power dynamics in relationships are fluid with mutual influence between partners.

Counter Power

• Counter power is the ability to challenge or resist the power held by another person or group.
• When employees collectively protest against a boss, they are using counter power.
• In a relationship, challenging when one partner stands up for themselves is also counter power.

Types of Resources

• Reward Power: Providing something desirable or removing something undesirable.
• Coercive Power: Imposing something unpleasant or removing something pleasant.
• Legitimate Power: Based on authority, equity, reciprocity, or responsibility.
• In some cultures the is the man and wife should obey.
• Reciprocity is returning a favor.
• Equity is fairness, like sharing laundry duties.
• Responsibility includes generosity to those in need, such as providing care for the sick.
• Referent Power: Based on respect, love, and the desire to be close to someone.
• Expert Power: Stems from expertise and knowledge.
• The wife may be the better cook, and advise the husband. Informational Power: Derived from possessing specific knowledge.
• Sharing gossip in exchange for desired actions is an example.

Men, Women, and Control of Resources

• Men typically have more relative resources, receiving higher pay and more promotions.
• Universalistic resources include money.
• Particularistic resources include love.
• Social norms often reinforce male dominance.
• Wives often manage household routines, but men generally hold more power because they are more likely to prevail.
• Men tend to have greater coercive power due to their physical size and strength.

Conversation

• Women often display less strength and interruption is more common than they interrupt men.
• Those interrupted receive less power.

Non-Verbal Communication

• Powerful individuals maintain larger interpersonal distances, sustain longer gazes, and adopt less symmetrical postures, occupying more space.

Non-Verbal Sensitivity

• Powerful people are less accurate in discerning emotions in others' voices and facial expressions.
• Women often possess greater nonverbal sensitivity.
• Individuals with less power are more attuned to others' emotions to understand needs, protect themselves, and maintain relationships, focusing on facial expressions, tone, and body language.
• Powerful individuals focus more on their own needs and may miss emotional cues as they feel less need to "read" others.

Styles of Power

• Direct: Clear and unambiguous stating of desires.
• Relationships with satisfied people use more direct power.
• Indirect: Hinting at desires or sulking when wishes aren't met.
• Bilateral: Bargaining with partners for desired outcomes, involving both parties.
• More powerful people often do this.
• Unilateral: Acting independently without involving a partner, implying independence.
• Less powerful people often do this.

The Two Faces of Power

• Power imbalances can be problematic, but power is not inherently negative and doesn't always cause exploitation.
• Benevolent individuals use their power to enhance their partner's well-being.
• Those with relational self-construals are generous when resolving disputes.
• Power can be a force for good, benefiting both sides of a relationship.
• Power can lead to controlling behavior and violence in unhappy relationships.

Violence in Relationships

• Violence encompasses behaviors intended to cause physical harm, ranging from minor to severe, and is often perpetrated by men.
• Psychological violence is common, but physical violence is considered more serious for women.

Types of Couple Violence

• Michael Johnson identifies three types of violence in romantic relationships: Situational Couple Violence, Intimate Terrorism, and Violent Resistance.

Situational Couple Violence (SCV)

• Situational Couple Violence (SCV) arises from heated conflicts, is occasional, mild, and unlikely to escalate.

Intimate Terrorism (IT)

• Intimate Terrorism (IT) involves one partner's use of violence to control and oppress the other through threats, isolation, and economic control.

Violent Resistance (VR)

• Violent Resistance (VR) is when a partner fights back against intimate terrorism and is the least common type.

Facets of Intimate Terrorism

• Isolation, Intimidation, Economic abuse, Emotional Abuse, Minimizing are facets of Intimate Terrorism.

Gender Differences in Intimate Violence

• Women engaging in IT are more likely to kick, bite, scratch, punch, or throw objects.
• Men engaging in IT are more likely to choke, strangle, or beat up their partner.
• Women often suffer greater injuries.
• Men are more prone to rape or murder.
• Women use indirect aggression, like spreading rumors.
• Men perpetrate 80% of intimate terrorism cases.

Correlates of Violence

• Violence often occurs due to failures in self-control, but some is part of a daily routine.

Situational Couple Violence (SCV)

• The I3 (I-Cubed) Model by Eli Finkel organizes the influences of SCV using conflict and stress with external factor, and helps understand disagreements.

Instigating Triggers

• Jealousy, betrayals, rejection, and abuse are Instigating Triggers that cause anger and antagonism.
• Instigating triggers are external stressors that cause conflict, such as work stress or a partner's habits.

Impelling Influences

• Impelling influences the instincts or the urge to act in a certain way when conflict arises.
• People from abusive homes, those consuming aggressive media, those witnessing parental fights, or those with poor communication skills are more at risk, and vulnerable.
• There is engagement in interpersonal violence (IPV).

Inhibiting Influences

• Inhibiting Influences refers to the ability to control urges and emotional reactions, leading to more constructive responses.
• Strong inhibiting influences promote non-violent behavior, while low inhibiting influences lead to violent behavior.

Intimate Terrorism (IT)

• Instigating factors for IT include being pathetic, narcissistic, with violence as the best solution.
• Men in IT are often violent from an early age.

Why do Men Use Violence on Women?

• Men may feel violence is the way because they feel disrespected by their partner.
• Men blame the partner for abuse as they believe males are superior.
• Many abusers don't think they hurt women badly, where only 50% of abusers regret it.
• Women often blame themselves and stay silent, believing men can change.

Why Don’t They All Leave?

• Victims might not think they will be better off, or have high financial costs of leaving.
• The fear of leaving is substantial.
• Women with high anxiety of abandonment do not leave.