The powerful disregard social comparison information

Social comparisons are important because other people can serve as benchmarks to determine oneʹs own capabilities and act as sources for inspiration. Despite this, people do not always fully utilize social comparison information. The present paper demonstrates that feelings of power may reduce use of social comparison information. In three experiments, participants were first induced to feel high or low in power, or were in a control condition. Then, they were exposed to either upward or downward comparison targets. In all three experiments, low power participants responded to targets with contrast or assimilation, whereas high power participants did not. This has important implications for our understanding of how peopleʹs positions in the social and organizational hierarchies affect their basic psychological functioning.