Implicit vs. explicit power motive

The aim of the study was to examine implicit and explicit power motive in students as a function of their gender and major (psychology versus economics). It was expected that although men would explicitly declare stronger power motive than women, on the implicit level, there would be no gender difference. Similarly, it was expected that economy majors would declare stronger power motive than psychology majors but this difference would not be observed on the implicit measure. Forty psychology and forty economics majors, with an equal number of men and women in each group, participated in the proper study. They were asked to fill in the questionnaire measuring 3 dimensions of explicit power motivation: leadership, visibility and helping. They also completed an Implicit Association Test (IAT) measuring implicit power motivation. Psychology majors declared stronger power motive expressed through helping behaviors than economics majors. For psychology majors those helping behaviors were related to power motive at the implicit level. On the other hand, economy majors more often than psychology ones declared that they satisfy their power motivation by typical power attributes - influencing others and visibility.