The threat of powerlessness: Consequences for affect and (social) cognition

Abstract

Throughout history, powerlessness has been associated with phenomena such as heightened conspiracy beliefs and perceived ingroup homogeneity and commitment, as well as increased conviction about one's own opinions and worldview. The goals of the present research were to examine whether such links are causal and to gain an understanding of the underlying mechanism. We hypothesized that the experience of powerlessness activates the behavioral inhibition system (BIS) and that the aforementioned phenomena emerge as threat defenses aimed at lowering BIS activation. To test these hypotheses, one correlational and three experimental studies were conducted. Meta-analytic results across these four studies indicate an indirect but not a direct link between powerlessness and the increased use of threat defenses via heightened BIS activation. These findings provide new insights into the potential negative social, affective, and cognitive consequences of feeling powerless. They can furthermore be used to design interventions that aim to prevent such consequences.