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

摘要： 已有研究发现高权力感会使个体更耐心，更偏好延迟的大奖励。本研究假设高权力感导致耐心也会体现在时间知觉上，并且时间知觉是高权力导致耐心的心理机制。研究通过考察权力感对时间知觉与跨期决策的影响，以及时间知觉的中介作用对此假设进行了检验。实验1通过回忆法启动权力感，检验权力感对时间知觉的影响；实验2采用角色扮演法启动权力感，考察权力感对跨期决策的影响，并检验时间知觉的中介作用。结果发现：相比低权力感，高权力感个体感觉时间过得更快，进而使个体在跨期决策中更偏好延迟的大奖励，权力感并不直接影响跨期决策。研究揭示了权力感对时间知觉的影响，为权力感影响耐心行为的解释提供了时间知觉的新视角。

关键词: 权力, 权力感, 时间知觉, 跨期决策, 耐心