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Influence in the Ivory Tower: Examining the Appropriate Use of Social Power in the University Classroom
Author(s) -
Elias Steven M.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of applied social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.822
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1559-1816
pISSN - 0021-9029
DOI - 10.1111/j.1559-1816.2007.00269.x
Subject(s) - ivory tower , psychology , power (physics) , social power , social psychology , interpersonal communication , political science , physics , quantum mechanics , politics , law
A study was conducted to determine how appropriate university students feel it is for professors to use varying bases of social power as a means of influence. Participants ( n = 91) completed a modified version of the Interpersonal Power Inventory (Raven, Schwarzwald, & Koslowsky, 1998) and a demographic questionnaire. Students rated the use of soft power as significantly more appropriate than harsh power. Repeated‐measures ANOVA indicated that informational and expert power were thought to be the most appropriate bases for professors to use, and a gender effect was observed such that female students rated the use of social power in the classroom as significantly less appropriate than did male students. Implications for university instructors and other power holders are discussed.