Power as a function of action coordination and decision calculation

Fundacja Dobre Państwo • January 10, 2026 • 🇵🇱 Polski

The Triad of Worlds: Ontological Frameworks of Power

Power is not merely a vague metaphor for dominance, but a precise function of coordinating actions. To understand its mechanism, one must distinguish between the world of objective facts, the sphere of social norms, and the domain of subjective experiences. It is the intersection of these three in the process of justification that transforms power into a rigorous decision-making structure embedded in language. This article analyzes how we shape the choices of others through communication, utilizing psychological, cultural, and institutional mechanisms.

The SEV Model and the Four Pillars of Influential Communication

James Tedeschi redefines Max Weber’s classical approach, viewing power as social influence based on a decision calculus. The key mechanism is subjective expected value (SEV)—the sum of the products of an outcome's value and the probability of its occurrence. Influence consists of modifying this calculus for the recipient through four forms of communication.

Threats and promises rely on sanctions or rewards controlled directly by the sender. In contrast, warnings and recommendations describe consequences resulting from the objective order of the world, over which the sender has no direct control. In this process, prestige, status, and credibility act as filters that adjust probability estimates—making what is possible appear more real in the eyes of the recipient.

Cognitive Complexity, Manipulation, and Resource Tactics

The effectiveness of persuasion depends on the recipient's cognitive complexity. Individuals with high complexity are better at integrating conflicting data and are more resistant to manipulation, while simpler minds rely on heuristics, such as source credibility. Influence can be overt (the open shaping of gains) or manipulative (the hidden filtering of information and ingratiation).

In power relations, four main resource management tactics are employed: outcome blocking, demand creation, network expansion, and withdrawal. A significant phenomenon is the sleeper effect—over time, the mind forgets the low credibility of a source but retains the content of the argument itself, leading to a delayed attitude change in the recipient.

The Cultural SEV Filter and the Family Matrix

The parameters of the decision calculus shift depending on the cultural context. In Asia, hierarchy and harmony dominate; in the US, the ironclad enforceability of contracts; in Africa, elder mediation; and in Europe, deliberation intertwined with expertise. The primary matrix for these competencies is the family, where either a sociocentric orientation (focused on status) or a conceptocentric orientation (focused on the argument) is formed.

At the individual level, power is a feedback loop between motivation and a sense of agency. Success in overcoming resistance builds power potential but can give rise to an illusion of control. Conversely, failures lower the subjective probability of one's own success, leading to escape strategies and passivity.

The Language of Decision and Institutional Safeguards

To prevent power from degenerating into a raw display of force, it must be bound by proceduralism. Mechanical rationality (profit maximization) must give way to a language of decision that allows for the criticism and revision of claims. The foundation of minimal ethics in politics is the transparency of the expected value calculus.

Crucial to this are institutional safeguards: mechanisms that verify the credibility of promises, minimize gains from empty threats, and separate expert advice from private interests. Power resonates within us based on our primary communication training. Can we free ourselves from the dictate of heuristics to build relationships based on the force of the better argument rather than the power of authority?

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Summary

This text provides an in-depth analysis of the concept of power, defining it as a key element in the coordination of social actions embedded in the structures of rational decision-making. The author moves away from the perception of power as simple domination, emphasizing its procedural nature, combining objective facts, social norms, and subjective experiences. The article provides a detailed discussion of influence mechanisms, in which actors estimate subjective expected value and the probability of specific consequences. The analysis encompasses the role of threats, promises, warnings, and recommendations in shaping individual choices, emphasizing the importance of source credibility and reputation for competence. The entire work is embedded in the context of cognitive psychology and communication theory, offering a novel perspective on complex decision-making processes and influence strategies in modern power structures.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a threat and a warning in the context of authority?

A threat is an announcement of harm directly controlled by the sender, while a warning describes a negative effect resulting from the objective order of the world, independent of the will of the speaker.

How does source credibility affect decision-making?

Credibility acts as a calibration function that modifies the subjective probability of the announcement being implemented, giving the message the appropriate decision-making weight.

What is the difference between an open and a manipulative strategy?

An open strategy directly shapes the recipient's profit and loss account, while manipulation conceals the fact of influence by filtering information or managing perception.

How does cognitive complexity protect against manipulation?

People with high cognitive complexity analyze causal chains and test the consistency of models rather than relying on simple heuristics such as sender status or group conformity.

Why does moral authority dominate over coercion in Asian cultures?

This stems from the Confucian hierarchy, where obedience is internalized as a duty, and an overt sanction threatens to destroy the partner's 'face' and social harmony.