Underestimating our influence over others at work

Underestimating our influence over others' unethical behavior and decisions.

We examined the psychology of "instigators," people who surround an unethical act and influence the wrongdoer (the "actor") without directly committing the act themselves. In four studies, we found that instigators of unethical acts underestimated their influence over actors. In Studies 1 and 2, university students enlisted other students to commit a "white lie" (Study 1) or commit a small act ...

Our academy, our mission, our work!

This publication finds me at the half-way point of my tenure as president of the American Academy of Pain Medicine. It is therefore timely to review our academy’s goals and progress, reflecting upon and inspecting our work together as a committed and talented group of management team members and volunteer leaders. To share highlights of the year-to-date, I have created a “virtual interview,” po...

Influence at work and the desire for more influence

What determines whether workers want more influence in their workplace? Much of the literature on employee voice and on high performance work systems assumes that employees desire a say in how they do their work, and that where they have little influence they are more likely to desire a greater say in how they do their work. This econometric study of 536 Danish and New Zealand employees in the ...

Misery has more company than people think: underestimating the prevalence of others' negative emotions.

Four studies document underestimations of the prevalence of others' negative emotions and suggest causes and correlates of these erroneous perceptions. In Study 1a, participants reported that their negative emotions were more private or hidden than were their positive emotions; in Study 1b, participants underestimated the peer prevalence of common negative, but not positive, experiences describ...

In the Future: Learning Will Reshape Our World at Work, at Home, and at School