Dyadic Power Theory Research Articles

“You-Don’t-Wanna-Mess”: A Case Study of Nonverbal Behaviors in Chinese Freestyle Rap Battles

Different channels of nonverbal behavior can serve important functions in live music performances. In this paper, we look at cross-channel nonverbal behavior in a Chinese freestyle rap battle, investigating what categories of nonverbal behavior are used and what functions these behaviors are serve. Using the theoretical frameworks of dyadic power theory and the coordination of verbal and nonverbal behaviors, we analyzed four video clips of two Chinese rappers in a freestyle rap battle. We found that nonverbal behaviors were crucial to helping them articulate the verbal content of their raps, displaying power and exerting dominance. Theoretical implications were discussed.

Optimizing Employee Communication in Organizational Behavior with Collaborative Methods at PT. Resonac Materials Indonesia

Improved employee performance has a good impact on realizing company value. Everyone has personal interests that may not be in line with the vision and mission. This results in a communication gap between employees and management level. If a communication gap occurs, the company's goal to achieve the target will be hampered. The importance of increasing the intensity of communication between employees with the Collaboration method applied at PT Resonac Materials Indonesia. The theory that underlies this research method includes dyadic power theory. From the results of socialization and discussion, 4 responses emerged. This breakthrough is applied to focus on employees. Employees cannot work alone. Cooperation is needed and optimal collaboration will produce new ideas to create future interactions with new expectations

Exoskeletons and the Future of Work: Envisioning Power and Control in a Workforce Without Limits

Exoskeletons are an emerging form of technology that combines the skills of both machines and humans to give wearers the ability to complete physically demanding tasks that would be too strenuous for most humans. Exoskeleton adoption has the potential to both enhance and disrupt many aspects of work, including power dynamics in the workplace and the human-machine interactions that take place. Dyadic Power Theory (DPT) is a useful theory for exploring the impacts of exoskeleton adoption. In this conceptual paper, we extend DPT to relationships between humans and machines in organizations, as well as human-human communication where use of an exoskeleton has resulted in shifts of power.

A dyadic power theory explanation of the demand‐withdraw interaction pattern

AbstractThis study explores how dyadic power theory (DPT) can explain the demand/withdraw interaction pattern (in which one partner raises an issue and the other partner avoids discussion) in a wide range of relationship types (e.g. friends, romantic partners, family, work relationships). Two surveys were conducted (N = 155 and 91 of student and non‐student samples, respectively) where participants reported on either an unequal‐power or an equal‐power relationship in a scenario. The results were more complex than anticipated. DPT's predictions for both demand/withdraw (H1b) and relationship satisfaction (H2) were supported but found that a related pattern, criticize/defend (H1a; in which one partner critiques and the other partner defends themselves), was affected not only by the power dynamic (in the opposite direction that DPT would predict) but also by the type of relationship participants reported. In addition, equal‐power partners were more likely to use a positive interaction (RQ1) style than unequal‐power partners.

Communicating by Catcalling: Power Dynamics and Communicative Motivations in Street Harassment.

To understand the frequencies and communicative motivations of men engaging in street harassment, men's tolerance of sexual harassment, and the relationship between power and street harassment experiences for both men and women using the frameworks of dyadic power theory and feminist theories, we surveyed 348 undergraduate participants at a university in the Pacific United States. Results indicated that men who believe they have lower power than women were the most likely to report engaging in street harassment. Results also indicated a positive relationship between men's reported tolerance for sexual harassment and men's reports of engaging in street harassment.

Sexual Relationship Power, Safer Sexual Communication, and Condom Use: A Comparison of Heterosexual Young Men and Women

Communication is essential to negotiating safer sex, yet power dynamics make condom use difficult to manage. Guided by Dyadic Power Theory and the chilling effect, we predicted that men’s sexual relationship power is negatively curvilinearly associated with safer sexual communication, such that men will report more communication when they are relatively equal in power to their partners, whereas women’s power is positively associated with safer sexual communication. Moreover, because women have to communicate condom use desire, communication should mediate the relationship between power and condom use for women. Results supported the hypotheses and provided implications for gender-based power imbalance in sexual domains.

A test of dyadic power theory

Dyadic power theory (DPT; Dunbar 2004) predicts that equal and unequal-power dyads will seek to persuade one another differently because they use different control attempts. This paper seeks to expand the theory’s definition of control attempts beyond dominance by examining convergence behavior, topic avoidance, aggression, deception, and affection or support. Participants answered a survey about the way they interact with an interpersonal partner who is lower in power, equal in power, or higher in power than themselves. Results reveal that, consistent with DPT, equal power partners were more likely than high or low power partners to use a control attempt that emphasized equilibrium, and were more likely to use verbal affection and social support. However, equal power partners were also more likely to use deception and they reported their partner was least likely to be deceptive compared to the other power groups. Low power partners were more likely, compared to equal or high power, to be motivated to submit to their partner, to use topic avoidance, and to experience psychological aggression from their partner. The type of relationship moderated several of these effects.

A Review of Theoretical Approaches to Interpersonal Power

Power equality or inequality is one of the most fundamental attributes of any interpersonal relationship. In this review of interpersonal approaches to power, a definition of interpersonal power is proposed and the multidimensional and complex nature of power is explored. Various theoretical models, all of which employ power as one of their key variables, are discussed, including social exchange theory, interdependence theory, normative resource theory, equity theory, dyadic power theory, necessary convergence communication theory, bilateral deterrence theory, the chilling effect, relational control approaches, and sex role theories.

Complaint Avoidance and Complaint-Related Appraisals in Close Relationships

This study explored the role of decision-making power in withholding communicating about relational complaints. A total of 350 participants (nested in 175 couples) completed surveys about the balance of decision-making power in their relationship, complaint avoidance, and complaint-related appraisals. Decision-making power had a curvilinear association with avoidance, such that individuals engaged in the least complaint avoidance when they were relatively equal to their partners in power. For complaint-related appraisals, problems were perceived as least severe, and outcome expectancies and communication efficacy assessments were most positive, when power was equal. Furthermore, severity appraisals and outcome expectancies mediated the curvilinear association of power with complaint avoidance. Results provided support for Dyadic Power Theory outside of laboratory contexts, and highlight cognitive mechanisms through which decision-making power may influence communication in close relationships.

Dyadic Power Theory, Touch, and Counseling Psychology

Smith, Vogel, Madon, and Edwards’ (2011) recent article tested dyadic power theory (DPT) by examining the use of touch as a compliance-gaining tactic in the conflicts of married couples. In this response, we raise a methodological issue about the touch behaviors examined by Smith et al. and also pose a theoretical critique that their test of DPT violates an important scope condition of the theory. They did not examine differences between power-equal and power-unequal dyads, but instead they state that topic selection provides an actor with legitimate authority (and thus greater perceived power) and therefore the actor would touch their partner more to influence the partner. In contrast, DPT predicts that actors will use control attempts such as touch more when they are equal in power than when they are unequal. We believe DPT is relevant to touch in marital conflicts and provide a preliminary statement of that idea.

Empowered by Persuasive Deception

This paper examines how power differences and deception jointly influence interactional dominance, credibility, and the outcomes of decision-making. Two theories, interpersonal deception theory and dyadic power theory, were merged to produce hypotheses about the effects of power and deception. A 3 (power: unequal-high, unequal-low, equal) × 3 (deception: truth-truth, truthful with deceptive partner, deceptive with truthful partner) experiment ( N = 120) was conducted in which participants were asked to make a series of mock hiring decisions. Actor-partner analyses revealed that participants in the deception condition reported a significant increase in perceptions of their own power whereas their truthful partners reported a significant decrease in perceptions of their own power. Further, interactional dominance fostered credibility and goal attainment (i.e., making the best hiring decision in the truthful condition and hiring a friend in the deceptive condition) for both truth-tellers and deceivers.

Humor use in power-differentiated interactions

AbstractHumor serves a variety of functions in interpersonal communication, including the release of tension and the diffusion of conflict. Based on Dyadic Power Theory (Dunbar 2004; Dunbar and Abra 2010), it is predicted that interactants of equal power will use more humor and different types of humor than those either relatively high or low in power as compared to their partners. The present study analyzed experimentally manipulated problem-solving interactions between research participants (N = 150) and confederate strangers. Participants used a mean of 8 humorous statements in interactions that lasted for a mean of 15 minutes. The results revealed that power did not influence the amount of humor used overall but those who were equal in power used more tension-releasing humor than those unequal in power. Additionally, those with equal power or high power positions were more likely to use humor to disparage the task or laugh along with their partner than those low in power. Humor use did not affect the participants' satisfaction with the interaction, but those who laughed along with their partner exerted more influence over the outcome of the problem-solving task. Although not hypothesized, some sex differences in types of humor use also emerged.

The Power of Touch: Nonverbal Communication Within Married Dyads

Researchers have suggested that one function of touch in mixed-sex interactions is to exert influence over another person. Yet theories offer different explanations as to when women and men will use touch as an influence strategy. The gender politics hypothesis proposes that men touch more as a way to maintain inequalities present in society. In turn, the dyadic power theory proposes that both women and men will touch more depending on their goals in a given situation. The person initiating a topic of disagreement is more likely to touch in order to try and influence the other person to agree with his or her position. However, researchers have rarely examined the different assertions of these theories within intimate relationships. The present study, with 67 married heterosexual couples, was designed to provide an initial test of these theories. The authors focused on four types of touch across two problem-solving topics: one chosen by each spouse. Consistent with the dyadic power theory, results indicated that when couples discussed topics chosen by wives, wives exhibited more touches. However, no differences in these forms of touch emerged when couples discussed topics chosen by husbands. Implications for marital counseling and research are discussed.

Observations of Dyadic Power in Interpersonal Interaction

Power and dominance are widely recognized as fundamental concepts in the study of human relationships. A theory of power, Dunbar's dyadic power theory (DPT), was tested experimentally by manipulating power in interactions with confederate strangers. Participants' verbal and nonverbal dominance behaviors were coded from videotapes of their interactions. DPT proposes that individuals will display more dominance in equal power relationships than in unequal relationships and increasing an individual's relative power will increase that individual's satisfaction with the encounter. The results revealed that the equal-power and unequal high-power conditions displayed more dominance and were more satisfied than those in the unequal low-power conditions but those in the unequal-high power condition were the least affected by their partners and maintained the most control over the partnership's decisions. Implications for DPT and the relationship between microlevel dominance behaviors and the macrolevel impressions of dominant interactants are discussed.

Serial Argument Goals and Conflict Strategies: A Comparison between Romantic Partners and Family Members

Using the framework of Dyadic Power Theory (Dunbar, 2004), this study compares parent–child, sibling, and romantic relationships in terms of serial argument goal importance and conflict strategy usage. A university and community sample (N = 166) completed a questionnaire. The positive relational expression goal was more important in romantic relationships than in parent–child relationships, whereas the opposite was the case for the dominance/control goal. No differences were observed for sibling serial argument goal importance and no relationship type differences were found for the remaining goals or for the conflict strategies. The implications for serial argumentation research are discussed.

Interpersonal Dominance in Relational Conflict: A View from Dyadic Power Theory

This investigation uses dyadic power theory (Dunbar, 2004; Dunbar & Burgoon, 2005a; Rollins & Bahr, 1976) to offer competing hypotheses examining the relationship between power and dominance in close relationships. Forty-seven couples engaged in a conversation while being videotaped; the tapes were coded by third-party observers for dominance. Participants rated themselves to be the most dominant when they were equal to their partners in power, followed by those who perceived they were more powerful relative to their partners. Men and women had different perceptions of power and dominance in their relationships. Men’s perceptions of power were not related to their behavioral dominance whereas when women saw themselves as more powerful, they viewed their partners as more dominant.

Perceptions of power and interactional dominance in interpersonal relationships

This investigation uses dyadic power theory (Dunbar, 2000, 2004; Rollins & Bahr, 1976) to examine the relationship between dominance and power and the behavioral manifestations of power in close relationships. Ninety-seven couples (58 married, 39 cohabiting) completed a problem-solving task together while being videotaped. The videotapes were coded for a variety of verbal and nonverbal dominant control attempts including dysfluencies, interruptions, frequency of adaptor and illustrator gestures, vocal characteristics, and general perceptions of dominance. The results revealed that individuals’ perceptions of power led to more dominant communication behavior during discussions with their partner. Comparisons between the perceptions of participants and observers and the implications for future research are also discussed.

Theory in Progress: Dyadic Power Theory: Constructing a Communication-Based Theory of Relational Power

Power is an integral part of any relationship, especially close familial relationships, because it determines how the partners relate to each other and how decisions are made. Rollins and Bahr's (1976) theory of power in marital relationships, referred to here as Dyadic Power Theory, is expanded to consider communication behavior, and to include other family dyads in addition to marriage. The theory, which emphasizes the dyadic nature of power, draws on past perspectives of power including those posited by social exchange theory, the chilling effect, sex roles, and normative resource theory. It is proposed that perceptions of legitimate authority to make decisions and access to a variety of resources increase individuals' perceptions of their own power compared to their partner. Perceptions of power, in turn, increase the likelihood of using dominant communication behavior in an attempt to control the interaction. Greater control attempts lead to greater influence over decisions. It is also predicted that perceptions of power will increase relational satisfaction for partners relatively equal in power. The propositional framework of dyadic power theory is explicated and suggestions for its use by family communication researchers are provided.

Theory in Progress: Dyadic Power Theory: Constructing a Communication-Based Theory of Relational Power

Theory in Progress: Dyadic Power Theory: Constructing a Communication-Based Theory of Relational Power