Does a cynical view of human nature influence an individual’s motives for power and their eventual attainment of it? New psychology research suggests that while cynicism may intensify power motives, particularly towards dominance, it paradoxically hinders the actual attainment of power. The findings have been published in the British Journal of Psychology.
Cynicism is characterized by the belief that all human actions are motivated by selfishness, suggesting that individuals are willing to go to any lengths to satisfy their own desires. This perspective on human nature has traditionally been linked to a host of negative outcomes, ranging from poorer social relationships and financial hardships to higher risks of physical and mental health issues, and even an increased likelihood of mortality. Yet, its influence on one’s pursuit and attainment of power —a central aspect of social and professional hierarchy — remains less explored.
“I find it interesting to understand the relationships between personality and power / leadership attainment. Who is more likely to desire power and are these the same people who tend to attain positions of power as well?” explained study author Olga Stavrova, an associate professor at the University of Lübeck.
The research explored the relationship between cynicism and power through four distinct studies, each designed to examine different facets of how cynical beliefs about human nature might influence power motives and the attainment of leadership positions.
Study 1: Power Motives and Cynicism Among University Students
The first study targeted first-year undergraduate psychology students at a Dutch university, gathering data from 688 participants (average age of 20.12, with 19.1% being male). Conducted online, participants filled out surveys within a two-week window. The key measure for cynicism was the eight-item Cynical Distrust scale, assessing beliefs about others’ self-interest and deceitfulness.
Power motives were evaluated using the Unified Motives scale’s power motives subscale, which includes items about desires for power and leadership. Additionally, two constructs were measured to gauge participants’ fear of exploitation and their willingness to exploit others, using a 7-point response scale.
This study revealed a significant association between cynicism and power motives among undergraduate students. Specifically, it found that individuals with higher levels of cynicism expressed stronger desires for power, potentially as a means to protect themselves from exploitation or to exploit others for personal gain. This relationship persisted even after adjusting for gender and age, suggesting a robust link between cynical worldviews and aspirations for power.
Study 2: Working Adults’ Cynicism and Power Motives
The second study expanded the investigation to include 397 working adults recruited from Prolific Academic, ensuring participants were either full- or part-time employed. Cynicism was measured using two scales: the Cynical Distrust (CD) scale and a 5-item version of the Faith in People (FP) scale. Power motives were again assessed with the Unified Motives scale’s power motives subscale.
Additionally, this study introduced the Dominance, Prestige, and Leadership Motives Scale (DoPL) to differentiate between desires for dominance, prestige, and leadership. Participants also completed measures of fear of exploitation and willingness to exploit others, alongside control variables such as agreeableness and extraversion from the Mini-IPIP scales.
While cynicism was positively linked with a desire for dominance, indicating a preference for controlling and bending others to one’s will, it showed no significant relationship with prestige or leadership motives. This suggests that cynical individuals may be more inclined toward power that allows for direct control over others, rather than seeking admiration or guiding groups toward shared goals.
Study 3: Leader Emergence in Online Work Groups
In the third study, 173 undergraduate students in the Netherlands participated in leaderless group discussions conducted online. Participants, who were mostly unfamiliar with each other, were assigned to groups to perform various tasks, including brainstorming and ranking survival items. At the session’s end, they nominated a group leader.
Cynicism was measured using a four-item version of the cynical distrust scale. Leadership emergence was determined by the number of nominations received from group members. This study aimed to see if cynics were less likely to emerge as leaders in a group setting.
The results indicated that more cynical participants were less likely to be nominated as leaders by their peers. This suggests that cynicism, while possibly motivating individuals to seek power, may actually deter peer recognition of leadership qualities. The study provides empirical evidence that cynicism can be a barrier to informal leadership emergence, potentially due to the negative interpersonal behaviors associated with high levels of cynicism.
“We had groups of unacquainted people work together for 30 minutes in an online session. At the end, everyone in a group was asked who among their group members they see as a group leader. Cynicism (measured before the group work started) was the strongest predictor of receiving fewer leadership nominations. Neither extraversion nor agreeableness were related to leadership nominations – I did not expect cynicism to emerge as the strongest predictor here.”
Study 4: Longitudinal Study on Leadership Attainment in Germany
The fourth study utilized data from over 9,000 full- or part-time employed individuals from the German Socio-Economic Panel, spanning ten years. Cynicism was assessed with items derived from the Faith in People Scale. Leadership attainment was self-reported, asking participants if they supervised others at work. The study also controlled for socio-demographic variables, work-related characteristics, and the Big Five personality traits. This longitudinal approach aimed to determine if baseline cynicism predicted movement into leadership roles within organizations over a decade.
The findings revealed that individuals with higher levels of cynicism at the study’s outset were less likely to attain leadership positions in their organizations over the following ten years. This effect remained significant even after controlling for a range of socio-demographic, work-related characteristics, and personality traits. This study underscores the long-term career implications of cynicism, suggesting that a cynical worldview may hinder professional advancement into leadership roles.
The Key Take Aways
Together, these studies paint a complex picture of the relationship between cynicism and power. While cynicism appears to drive a desire for power, particularly forms of power characterized by control and dominance, it simultaneously impedes both the informal emergence as a leader in group settings and the formal attainment of leadership positions within organizations.
These findings challenge the notion that cynicism is a purely protective or advantageous trait, highlighting its potential drawbacks in social and professional advancement contexts.
“Our studies showed that cynicism – the belief that most people’s behavior is driven by self-interest – predicts a stronger desire for power but a lower likelihood of achieving power,” Stavrova told PsyPost. “This adds to the other negative consequences that cynicism has been associated with in prior research (poor health, poor relationships, unsuccessful careers). Hence, the take away for an average person is that endorsing a cynical view of others is unlikely to bring one any benefits.”
Limitations
The study’s limitations include its reliance on self-reported data and the potential variability in the impact of cynicism across different cultural or organizational contexts. The variation in the strength of associations across different studies suggests the need for further exploration into how specific contexts and professional environments might moderate the relationship between cynicism and power attainment. Additionally, the question of whether positions of power could, in turn, influence one’s level of cynicism remains open for future inquiry.
“We still do not know what specifically prevents cynics from attaining positions of power. Is it how they treat others, or their general negativity, or something else?” Stavrova said.
Future research could explore how cynicism interacts with other personality traits or social skills in influencing power dynamics and whether experiences of powerlessness or disrespect fuel cynicism over time.
“I’m generally interested in the antecedents and consequences of cynicism,” Stavrova added. “It would be interesting to understand to what extent cynicism is malleable and what can help people overcome a cynical view.”
The study, “Cynical people desire power but rarely acquire it: Exploring the role of cynicism in leadership attainment,” was authored by Olga Stavrova, Daniel Ehlebracht, and Dongning Ren.
