Empathy and Compassion in Power Play Situations Research Paper

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POWER OVER PERSPECTIVEPower over PerspectiveAbstractSocial power dynamics can have a profound impact on the way people view and interact with each other. Specifically, the objectification of social targets is a common phenomenon that occurs when individuals in positions of power approach others solely based on their usefulness, without regard for their other human qualities. This phenomenon has been studied extensively by scholars such as Gruenfeld et al. (2008) and Van Kleef et al. (2008), who have demonstrated that power can lead to a lack of compassion for the suffering of others. The present research study, seeks to further investigate the relationship between power and objectification, and to explore the underlying psychological mechanisms that drive this phenomenon. The study involved 24 participants from Texas Tech University, aged 18 to 27, randomly assigned to two groups of 12. The participants were given a consent form and asked to answer a question about power dynamics before completing two tasks, which involved snapping their fingers and drawing a capital letter E on their forehead. The researchers took note of whether each participant was in a low or high power situation during the study. The study aimed to examine the relationship between power and objectification, specifically whether individuals in a high power situation would be more likely to objectify others than those in a low power situation. By shedding light on this important topic, the researchers hope to contribute to a greater understanding of the ways in which power dynamics shape our social interactions, and to identify potential avenues for intervention and change. This study could have significant implications for understanding the relationship between power and objectification and contributes to a deeper understanding of how power dynamics impact objectification experiences.Keywords: power dynamics, objectification theory, social targets, lack of compassionPower over PerspectiveIntroductionThe issue of power and its impact on social perception is important because it affects how people view and treat one another in various social contexts. When powerful individuals objectify others, they may treat them as means to an end rather than as individuals with inherent value and dignity. This can have negative consequences for the objectified individuals, leading to feelings of dehumanization, decreased self-esteem, and even physical and mental health problems.

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Furthermore, objectification can perpetuate and reinforce social inequalities, with powerful individuals using their status to maintain dominance over those who are less powerful.The problem of power and its effect on social perception has been a topic of interest in social psychology for decades. The idea that powerful individuals may be more likely to objectify others, focusing on their usefulness rather than their inherent human qualities, has been explored by several researchers…

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…were randomly assigned to two groups of 12, and were given a paper with a question about power, as well as tasks 1 and 2. The study aimed to measure the participants\' level of power, as well as their degree of objectification towards social targets.The study is justified because it seeks to provide insights into the relationship between power and objectification, an important issue in social psychology. Specifically, the study aims to test the idea that power leads to objectification of social targets, regardless of their other human qualities. This is an important issue to investigate because objectification can lead to negative consequences, such as reduced empathy and increased aggression towards social targets.HypothesisIt is expected that participants in high power conditions will demonstrate a greater tendency towards objectification of social targets than those in low power conditions.ContributionThis study is an important contribution to the literature on power and objectification, and has the potential to inform interventions aimed at reducing the negative consequences of objectification. The findings from this study could potentially inform interventions aimed at reducing the negative consequences of objectification, such as promoting awareness of power dynamics in social situations or providing education on healthy communication and relationship-building. There is also the potential for this study to inform broader social and cultural shifts towards reducing the prevalence of objectification and….....

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