Psychological power alters cognitive efficiency

Abstract

Power is known to promote cognitive processing in a goal‐directed way. However, it is unknown whether powerful individuals invest more resources when pursuing their goals or whether they invest their resources more efficiently. We examined how experiencing high versus low power affects the efficient investment of cognitive resources using electroencephalography (EEG). Specifically, event‐related desynchronization (ERD) in the upper alpha band (10.5–12.75 Hz) was used to quantify the use of cognitive resources during task completion. Results showed that high‐power participants used fewer neural resources compared to low‐power participants across the whole brain but task performance did not differ between groups. These findings demonstrate that, instead of investing more resources, high‐power participants performed the task with greater cognitive efficiency compared to low‐power participants. Performing tasks efficiently could help powerholders deal with their demanding jobs and responsibilities. © 2021 Society for Psychophysiological Research.