Power Motive

The power motive (also called n power, the need for power, or power motivation) is the operationally defined psychological term for what is often called the desire for power, the will to power (Nietzsche), the aggressive drive (Freud), or striving for superiority (Adler). The notions that power is a basic goal in human social life, [Page 520]and that individuals differ in the extent to which they seek power, can be found in many ancient and modern systems of thought.

Power comes in many different forms, and people who want it usually try to get it through a variety of different means. Often they succeed. However, power as a motive must be distinguished from other power-related concepts such as: social roles that permit or demand the exercise of power, skill in getting or using power, feelings of power, and values and beliefs about how power should be exercised.

The power motive is usually measured by analyzing the content of spoken or written text, scoring images of one person or group having impact on the behavior or emotions of another, or measuring concern for prestige and reputation as representing the potential for such impact. This scoring system can be applied to stories that people write to the Thematic Apperception Test (or Picture Story Exercise) or other imaginative texts; for political leaders or historical figures, it can be applied to transcripts of documents such as speeches or press conferences. Even such cultural products as popular fiction, diplomatic documents, or corporate annual reports can be scored.

People scoring high in power motivation tend to make themselves visible. In groups, they are active in defining agendas and encouraging participation. They accumulate prestige possessions. They build alliances, especially with less well-known people of lower status. In school, they tend to emerge as student leaders; as adults, they are drawn to occupations (such as business executive, journalist, professor or teacher, and psychologist) that give them legitimate scope to sanction and direct the behavior of others. When provoked, they are capable of verbal and physical aggression. If combined with low responsibility, the power motive is associated with “profligate” impulsive (and ultimately self-destructive) behaviors such as extreme risk-taking, drinking and drug use, and sexual exploitation. When it is combined with high responsibility or self-control, however, the power motive predicts being an effective manager who is able to create high morale and a climate of organizational clarity and team spirit among his or her subordinates.

The power motive is important in political leadership. U.S. presidents whose inaugural addresses scored high in the power motive are highly rated by historians and scholars of the presidency. They are judged as making “great decisions,” communicating effectively with the public, and combining combative skill with humor. Humor and their ability to enjoy power scrimmages appear to buffer them against the problems, stresses, and frustrations of politics. Their associates and subordinates describe them as charismatic.

Evidence from both experiments and archival studies suggests that the power motive is especially aroused or provoked by threats. In fact, it appears to be closely linked to sympathetic nervous system activity, which drives the body's fight-or-flight behaviors in response to challenges, and the secretion of testosterone in competitive situations. As a result, chronic high scorers are more vulnerable to challenge-related stress, cardiovascular problems, and impaired immune system functioning. Consistent with these findings, the power motive is associated with conflict escalation and war at the national or collective level. In both experimental and archival studies of crisis diplomacy, power motivation was negatively associated with making concessions.

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