權力是社會關系和社會活動的核心,對應于生存需要,與人們的生活品質息息相關。采用心理–生態途徑,權力基礎理論將其界定為個體依據環境限制與供給滿足自身需要的能力,并識別出6種基本權力類型,同時闡述了權力動態性如何通過增生性交易導致或加劇社會不平等。該理論試圖從人際和群際心理層面探討權力的起源問題,并將其與一般社會不平等現象建立聯系,為權力的社會心理學研究提供了一個嶄新的視角。

Power is the core of social relationships and social actions, and it also corresponds to survival needs and associates with one’s quality of life. Using a psycho–ecological approach, Power Basis Theory defines power as the ability to meet one’s basic survival needs given one’s own capabilities in the context of environmental and affordances. In this unique contribution, Power Basis Theory further identifies six types of power, each of which meets a distinct survival need. The actions and social transations people use to try to meet their needs create social and ecological changes for those in one’s social field. These dynamics may produce greater inequality through power transaction which is fungible rather than exchangeable. Thus, the framework addresses where each type of power comes from pertaining to interpersonal and intergroup levels, and provides processes by which power connects to social inequality. Power Basis Theory provides a new approach for research on the social psychology of power.