Power and Patience: The Influence of Power on Time Perception and Intertemporal Choice

Journal of Psychological Science ›› 2022, Vol. 45 ›› Issue (4) : 770-777.

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PDF(582 KB)
Journal of Psychological Science ›› 2022, Vol. 45 ›› Issue (4) : 770-777.

Power and Patience: The Influence of Power on Time Perception and Intertemporal Choice

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Abstract

Sense of power is a feeling under asymmetric control over valued resources. Previous studies suggest that individuals with a high sense of power exhibit more patient behaviors, which are characterized by (a) preference for later and larger rewards in intertemporal decisions and (b) more persistence with challenging tasks. We propose that the patience is not limited in behaviors, but could also be manifested in time perception, moreover, time perception is the mechanism behind the influence of power on patient behavior. Two streams of literature support this hypothesis. First, the social distance theory of power argues that high power leads to high construal level, and abstract thinking (high construal-level) affects individuals' perception of time and predictions of task duration. Second, the situated focus theory of power suggests that a high sense of power allows high-power individuals to focus more on the task, as a result, underestimating the same objective time interval. In addition, studies in the field of addiction and self-control suggest that individual differences in time perception are closely related to temporal discounting in intertemporal decisions, and the change of time perception caused by the change of mental state can also affect intertemporal decisions and persistence. Based on the above research, we propose that people in high power experienced time as passing more quickly than people in low power (H1); high power leads people to prefer larger future gains to smaller immediate gains (H2); time perception mediates the influence of power on intertemporal decisions (H3). We tested the hypothesis in two studies. In study 1, the sense of power (high vs. low) were manipulated using the priming method of power experience recall, the average of three estimated 30 seconds in the time production task was measured, and the potential influence of emotion was excluded. 79 college students were recruited in the study. The results showed that the high-power group produced longer time intervals than the low-power group in the time production task [F(1, 75) = 6.73,p = 0.011, = 0.082]. In other words, high-power individuals experienced time as passing more quickly, and were more patient. Study 2 adopted the role-playing method to prime the sense of power, and added the pretest of time production to eliminate individual differences and the intertemporal decision task to reflect patient behavior. 72 college students were recruited in this study. The results showed that there was no significant difference in time production between the high-power group and the low-power group in pretest [F(1,68) = 0.04,p = 0.842], while the high-power group produced longer time intervals than the low-power group in the post-test time production task [F(1,68) = 8.04,p = 0.006,= 0.106]. There was no significant difference in intertemporal decisions between the high-power group and the low-power group [F(1, 68) = 1.65,p = 0.203], while the indirect effect of time production on the influence of high power on intertemporal decision was significant (β = 0.231, 95% CI = [0.0427, 0.4744]). In conclusion, high sense of power makes individuals more likely produce longer time intervals, be more patient, and then prefer later and larger rewards in intertemporal decisions. To our knowledge, the present research is the first study to explore the effect of power on the time perception thus far, it provides a new perspective of time perception to explain the influence of power on patient behavior.

Key words

power / sense of power / time perception / intertemporal choice / patience

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Power and Patience: The Influence of Power on Time Perception and Intertemporal Choice[J]. Journal of Psychological Science. 2022, 45(4): 770-777
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