Power: Its Social Psychology

Power differences are an inherent feature of most organizations and relationships. However, little attention was devoted to their study within Social Psychology until the last two decades. In recent years, a group of scholars have tried to bring power to the forefront of research in Social Psychology studying its antecedents, effects, and psychological underpinnings. The results of their research have shown that power can have both positive and negative effects, and some moderators (e.g. its legitimacy and stability) tilt the balance toward one side or the other. The collection of studies included in this issue attempts to show the importance of the topic in current research in the area of Social Psychology.