The Effects of Status Cues on Choices of Social Power and Influence Strategies.

This article presents the results of two studies examining the different social status that can predict the use of social influence and social power. Social influence and social power have traditionally been viewed as discrete, perhaps because social power is typically defined as the potential to influence another person or persons, whereas social influence is typically defined as either the agent behavior that causes behavioral or attitudinal change in the target or the change itself. The studies presented in this article expand upon the hypothesis that differences in status can predict the use of social power and influence strategies. Status can be defined as the authority or prestige enjoyed by a given individual in a group; and status differentiation, as the relative authority accorded by the group to individuals of varying status. The results of studies that concern status differences have indicated that status is a significant predictor of individual behavior in-group interactions. Persuasion may be perceived as a strategy that is more successful for higher status agents than for lower status agents because higher status connotes higher credibility. Referent power may be perceived as a strategy that is more successful for lower status agents than for higher status agents because it is the only power base that can effectively increase agent-target similarity.