PSYC 359 1st Edition Lecture 24Outline of Last Lecture I. What is conflictII. The course of conflictIII. The nature of conflictOutline of Current Lecture I. Power and Interdependency TheoryII. ViolenceIII. AbuseCurrent LecturePower and Interdependency Theory- Power is the ability to influence the behavior of others and to resist their influence on us- Sources of power:o From an interdependency perspective, power is based on the control of valuable resources The person who has power does not have to possess the desired thing, she/he just has to have access to it The greater their need or desire, the greater ones power over them o The principle of lesser interest observes that the partner who is less dependent on the relationship—who desires it less—has more power in the relationship  Since men want sex more, women have power over that resource - Two different types of power:o Fate control allows one to control a partner’s outcomes no matter what the partner doeso Behavior control allows one to encourage, but not compel, desired behavior froma partner- Both partners in a relationship have power over one another and mutual influence is important to relationships- Types of resources—6 different recourses provide people power over otherso Reward power is the ability to bestow desired rewards; these may be either tangible, material goods, or intangible, interpersonal benefitso Coercive power is the ability to levy unwanted punishments, doing something a partner doesn’t like, or taking way something the partner does likeo Legitimate power exists when one partner has a reasonable right—by dint of authority, equity, or reciprocity—to tell the other what to doo Referent power merges from respect and love for a partnero Expert power exists when one partner has superior knowledge and experience that is recognized and acknowledged by the othero Informational power exists when one partner has specific pieces of information that the other wantso Broad cultural patterns influence the control of resources  In most heterosexual relationships, the dominant partner is the man Because men and women face a disparity in their relative recourses  And because social norms support male dominance - Process of powero Power feels goodo Self-esteems and self-perceptions of powerful people are highero People who perceive themselves in low power positions suffer more depression, have more cautiously, and timidly fear more punishment than powerful pople doo Refers to the manner in which power is expressed Language- Women tend not to speak to men with the same implicit strength and power that they display toward other women- Men interrupt females more Nonverbal behavior- Powerful people use larger interpersonal distances, display more intense facial expressions, and assume postures that are less symmetrical and take up more space - These poses are more common in men Nonverbal sensitivity- Women decode others nonverbal communications more accurately than men do- When two people differ in status, its typically the of of the subordinate to keep track of what the boss if feeling Styles of power- Explicitly ask for what you want - Or indirect: hint at what you want and don’t come right out and say it - The more satisfied people are with their relationships, the more likely they are to ask for things directly- Differences are gender differences: people who are high instrumentality tend to use direct, bilateral styles of power- Outcome of powero Many of us hold more power in our close relationships than we think we doo Relationships are more equitable than they used to beo Men do more housework than they used too Power isn’t always bad though…when people adopt communal orientations in committed romantic relationships, they typically use their power for the benefit of their partner and their relationships, not for selfish reasons - Dark side to powero In some men, the need for power takes the form of a Don Juan syndrome; the higher their need for power, the less love they feel for their partners and the less satisfied they and their partners areo Power need not be a corrosive, deleterious thing. Power can be used in positive and helpful waysViolence and Abuse in Relationships - Violence involves acts carried out with the intention of physically hurting another person- Violent actions range from those that do little harm, such as grieving or pushing, to others that inflict atrocious injury- The Conflict Tactics Scale is a research tool with which people can describe their aggression against their romantic partnerso Both psychologically and physically Facts about Domestic Violence- Domestic violence can occur in any relationship, regardless of sexual orientation- Domestic violence occurs when one person is clearly the victim. Mutual fighting is not domestic violence- Even though the perpetrator may be under the influence of drugs or alcohol when violence occurs, drugs and alcohol do not ‘cause’ the domestic violence- 1/3 women will be assaulted by an intimate partner in her lifetime- 30% of LGBT couples experience domestic violence- ¾ women murdered are killed by their partners- Acts of domestic violence occur every 15 to 18 seconds in the US- There are 4 distinct types of violence in romantic couples:o Situational couple violence erupts from specific angry arguments that get out of hand I-cubed Distal influences, dispositional influences, relational influences, and situational influences affect the onset of situational violence o In intimate terrorism, one partner uses violence as a tool to control and oppress the other Men do not become brutal overnight Offenders usually feel inadequate themselves Is usually transmitted from one generation to the nexto Mutual violent control, which is uncommon, occurs when both partners engage in intimate terrorismo Violent resistance occurs when a partner forcibly fights back- Gender differenceso While men may cause more injury, women are more likely to use physical abuseo Women do kill their husbands Women more likely to throw something kick, bite, scratch, or punch their partners, whereas men are more likely to choke, strange, or beat up their spouse Battered women syndrome or defense?- Battered woman syndrome is not a legal defense- It is one approach to explaining battered women’s experiences Clemency movement in California-