Power really DOES go to your head: Giving people a taste of authority can corrupt even honest members of a group
- Scientists in Switzerland asked volunteers to play the 'dictator game'
- In the game, people were given complete control over deciding pay
- They had choice of awarding less to group but more to themselves
- People rated as less honest at first exhibited more corrupt behaviour
- But, over time, those who scored high on honesty also behaved badly
Historian Baron John Acton famously declared that 'power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.'
Now,
more than a century after Acton's accusation, scientists have shown
that even the most noble lose sight of their values when handed the
right to govern.
A
series of experiments found that once honest people had tasted power,
they couldn't resist rewarding themselves at the expense of others.
In a
game, volunteers were given control over pay outs to themselves and
their followers. Researchers found that once they tasted power, they
couldn't resist rewarding themselves at the expense of others
After
undergoing psychological testing to measure individual differences,
including honesty, the volunteers played the 'dictator game'.
In the game, they were given complete control over deciding pay outs to themselves and their followers.
The leaders
had the choice of making pro or anti-social decisions - the latter
resulting in awarding less money to the group but more to the leader's
own earnings.
The findings showed those rated as less honest at first exhibited more corrupt behaviour.
The
findings showed those rated as less honest at first exhibited more
corrupt behaviour. Over time, even those who initially scored high on
honesty scales were not shielded from the corruptive effects of power
But, over time, even those who initially scored high on honesty scales were not shielded from the corruptive effects of power.
'One
thing that angers me, my children and most people across the world is
why do powerful leaders not do more good?' said Professor John Antonakis
from the University of Lausanne, Switzerland.
'Is it because of power? Do we really have to worry about this force? Is what Acton said really true?
'Corrupt
individuals exhibit moral deterioration by using their power to benefit
themselves and, by doing so, cause harm to the greater good.
'Powerful individuals are able to impose their decisions and preferences on weaker individuals.'
In
the study, the leader was given a pot of money and allowed to divide it
how they liked. The more they took out for themselves, the less was
left for their followers.
'The
results were clear. Power corrupts. When given more followers and more
choices, the leader was more likely to make an anti social decision,'
Professor Antonakis said.
Historian
Baron John Acton (right) famously declared that 'power tends to corrupt
and absolute power corrupts absolutely.' More than a century after
Acton's accusation, scientists have shown that even the most noble lose
sight of their values when handed the right to govern
'In
a way, power is to leaders what taste is to vampires. Once they get a
taste of it, they cannot let go. The more followers they had, the more
corrupt they became.'
The
participants were also given saliva tests which showed anti-social
decisions were highest among those with the highest levels of
testosterone, the male sex hormone.
'What
we observed was real corruption using real stakes. For instance, some
participants walked out of the lab with about $100 (£60) in payouts,'
Professor Antonakis said.
'They knew if they profited they would harm the public good.'
'We think strong governance mechanisms and strong institutions are the key to keeping leaders in check,' he added.
'Organisations should limit how much leaders can drink from the seductive chalice of power.'
