A Relational Account of Low Power: The Role of the Attachment System in Reduced Proactivity

Abstract

Although the literature has found widespread evidence for the effect of power on action, we lack a systematic understanding of why low power individuals are less prone to action. Here we focus particularly on proactive behavior as a form of action; we argue that because power exists within social relationships, our research elucidates a relational underpinning of the link between low power and reduced proactive behavior through the framework of attachment theory. We predict that the experience of low power will increase attachment anxiety, and that this increase in attachment anxiety will reduce proactive behavior. In a series of four pre-registered experiments and one quasi-experimental field study, we examine our hypothesized relationship that low power individuals are less proactive, and that this relationship is mediated by attachment anxiety. Overall, we find support for attachment anxiety as an important factor in the experience of low power individuals which inhibits proactive behavior and go on to offer a powerful intervention grounded in attachment theory to ameliorate this effect.