1. Exerting Power and Influence A series by the Center for the Management of Information, University of Arizona

2. Influence from the history books Adolph Hitler Jim Jones David Koresh

3. Definitions Social influence = one person's actions –causing changes in another's thoughts and behaviors that would not have occurred in the absence of the actor’s behaviors, or –maintaining the target’s way of thinking and behaving in the face of influence attempts Power = potential or capacity to influence

4. Definitions Dominance –communicative acts by which one actor’s assertion of influence and control is met with acquiescence from another –Is overt & behavioral –Includes characteristics of Influence Focus & poise Conversational control Panache (dramatism) Self-assurance

5. Assumptions Social influence is motivated Social influence is strategic Influence partly due to compresence

6. Bases of power Punishment Legitimate Reward Expertise Referent

7. Example

8. Principles of dominance Note that dominance is a continuum from dominant to submissive Many dominance indicators convey credibility Expertise Dynamism/extroversion Sociability The opposites of these principles connote powerlessness or submissiveness

9. Principles of dominance Overt symbols of status and authority –Status appearance indicators –Uniforms –Possession of valued commodities –High-prestige dialect –Formal language –“Powerful” speech

10. Principles of dominance Visible symbols Size –Physical –Posture –Clothing –Vocal features Deep pitch Louder amplitude –Quantity of language/speech # of words, verbs, sentences Duration of talk

11. Principles of dominance Visible symbols Size Elevation –Environmental location –Proxemic seating arrangement –Kinesic posture--standing –Physical appearance--height

12. Principles of dominance Visible symbols Size Elevation Intimidation –Facial maturity vs neoteny –Physical size –Spatial intrusion –Anger expressions –Kinesic threat stare –Loudness –Silence

13. Principles of dominance Visible symbols Size Elevation Intimidation Dynamism –Facial animation –More eye contact and longer gazes –More immediacy –Vocal variety Tempo Pitch –Linguistic expressivity Activation & imagery Expressivity index

14. Principles of dominance Visible symbols Size Elevation Intimidation Dynamism Access –Private space, better territories –Better furnishings –Freedom from others’ intrusions –Taking up more space

15. Principles of dominance Visible symbols Size Elevation Intimidation Dynamism Access Centrality –Location –Visual dominance ratio –First-person pronouns

16. Principles of dominance Visible symbols Size Elevation Intimidation Dynamism Access Centrality Precedence –Entering spaces –First to sit –Initiating talk

17. Principles of dominance Visible symbols Size Elevation Intimidation Dynamism Access Centrality Precedence Relaxation and poise –Relaxed & asymmetric posture –Relaxed voice Sideways lean & indirect body –Open arms –Fewer adaptors & restless movement –More eye contact –More nods –Informal speech

18. Principles of dominance Visible symbols Size Elevation Intimidation Dynamism Access Centrality Precedence Relaxation and poise Prerogative –Spatial deviations –Nonreciprocal touch –Chronemic deviations

19. Principles of dominance Visible symbols Size Elevation Intimidation Dynamism Access Centrality Precedence Relaxation and poise Prerogative Unexpectedness –Expectancy violations Dress Space

20. Principles of dominance Visible symbols Size Elevation Intimidation Dynamism Access Centrality Precedence Relaxation and poise Prerogative Unexpectedness Interaction control

21. Principles of dominance Expertise indicators –steady and consistent eye contact –smiling and facial pleasantness –head nods –expressive gestures –absence of adaptor gestures –direct body orientation –vocal variety –clear articulation –long talk time –fluent speaking –General American Dialect

22. Turning dominance on its head What would be indicators of powerlessness or submissiveness? –Linguistic –Kinesic –Vocalic Are these universal? What would rob our interfaces of credibility? What features do we need/want in our AVATAR?