Jj is for Jottings 123.  Neuroplasticity and Power.

The topic of neuroplasticity and power is related to this article which defines neuroplasticity and this article on neuroplasticity and complaining.  Every experience we have and every thought we think affects the way our brain develops and changes.  In turn, this affects our physiology and psychology.  The interplay between neuroplasticity and power has consequences in all aspects of life, from the playground bully to leaders in business and beyond.

POWER VERSUS POWERLESSNESS.

In a general sense, the experience of power or powerlessness stimulates particular parts of the brain.  This leads to increase or decrease in the release of various chemicals within the body – neurotransmitters, hormones etc. This then changes the physiology and affects cognition, emotions, behaviour, and brain structure and function.

Following are some of the effects of feeling powerful, according to various scientific studies.  (I have tried to keep it simpler by not going into the details of the studies because it makes it much less readable.)  Remember that these effects occur if you perceive that you have power.  It doesn’t matter if other people don’t see it the same way – neuroplasticity occurs as a result of your internal processes, regardless of fact.

NEUROPLASTICITY AND POWER: COGNITIVE FUNCTION.

Studies in Holland randomly assigned people positions of power (‘superior’) or of powerlessness (‘subordinate’).  Although participants knew it was an experiment, they really did feel some degree of power or powerlessness.  The subordinates performed significantly worse on tests of executive function.  (Executive function is a set of mental skills, including working memory, flexible thinking, and self-control.  Poor executive function can make it hard to focus, follow directions, and handle emotions, among other things.  You can read about the effects of digital distraction on these mental skills.)  Not only that, but the study also showed that even thinking about a time when you had power over someone made people think in more abstract and creative ways.  In that way, feeling powerful actually enhances cognitive performance.

NEUROPLASTICITY AND POWER: PHYSICAL EFFECTS.

In a different study the subjects struck poses for one minute: expansive, powerful poses, or more contracted, submissive poses.  Even after only one minute, the researchers measured increased testosterone in the first group and a corresponding decrease in the second group.  This study, and in fact this entire topic, overlaps with a previous post on how posture affects mood and cognition.

Powerful people such as police officers process blood in the heart faster and deliver that fresh, oxygenated blood to the brain more quickly, according to studies into how power impacts the body at the University of California – San Francisco.  This results in the ability to think and act more quickly.

Powerful people have lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol, and higher testosterone, which helps reduce fear. This holds true across genders (though women have about one-sixth the amount of testosterone that men do).

This isn’t just the case once people have attained power – having lower levels of cortisol and higher levels of testosterone can also predict whether someone is likely to rise into a position of leadership.

There are many other biochemical changes as a result of feeling powerful or, conversely, powerless, but they are complex and beyond the scope of this article.

POWER REDUCES EMPATHY AND COMPASSION; INCREASES EGOCENTRICITY AND BULLYING.

Empathy and Mirroring.

Being powerful can disengage your prefrontal cortex – the part of the brain that helps you understand how others are feeling.  As a result, power makes it harder to empathise with other people.

Powerful people’s “mirroring” systems are not as strong as those of others. That means they’re less likely to mimic a person they’re having a conversation with, and they will do less laughing, for example, along with their companion.  A study in 2004 revealed that when observing others squeeze a ball, high-powered people had less resonance in the brain areas that should typically light up. This suggests their brains had become less empathic and able to ‘mirror’ others. The more power someone had, the less resonant they were.

Compassion.

The vagus nerve, which runs from the top of the spinal cord down to the abdomen, has been shown to promote compassion, gratitude and appreciation.

Researcher, Keltner, has shown that this nerve bundle gets “de-activated” in powerful people. He says that could partially explain why it’s harder to know how people feel when you’re feeling powerful.

Egocentricity.

Power also increases egocentricity.  A study from Northwestern University in 2006 primed power or powerlessness in participants.  They then asked participants to draw a capital ‘E’ on their foreheads with a washable marker.  A significant proportion of those who thought about a time when they had power over someone drew an E on their forehead which was correct from their viewpoint.  But of course this was a mirror image from the point of view of someone standing opposite them.

One consequence of egocentricity and lack of empathy is that it makes people inclined to see others as a means to an end.  They begin to see others as objects, and are more inclined to contact someone when they need something from them.

Brief memories of low-grade power in artificial experiments can make people more egocentric and more inclined to see other people as objects.  So what effect does long-term, large-scale power over thousands of people have on the human mind?  I think we can all see examples of this on the world stage.

Breaking Rules.

 A study in 2011 showed that people driving high-end cars were four times more likely to cut off other drivers, and three times more likely to cut off a pedestrian about to cross the street. Some say this could be a sign that the rich and powerful are more willing to take risks.  But it is also likely that it results from egocentricity and the sense of entitlement which flows from their perception of being powerful.  Seeing people as objects and only in terms of their usefulness means that, when these people/objects served no purpose, they were simply swept out of the way.

Bullying.

 Power can also bring out the bully in a person.  Thankfully, this is only in some people and under certain circumstances.  It’s the people who feel inadequate in the role of boss who become bullies.             

 Treatment of Animals.

 It is very clear that mistreatment of animals is a result of feeling in a position of power.  The result is seeing animals as objects, lack of compassion and lack of empathy towards them.

 

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This article became too long.  Next time: varying needs for power, avoiding the negative effects of power and where children fit into the power picture.

 

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