Humans are deeply dependent on others, creating a constant negotiation of power. Power determines whether people can satisfy their own needs and goals or whether they must prioritize the needs and goals of others. Using the high-stakes context of couple and family relationships, I will outline when power leads to inhibition, aggression, or manipulation, and when power leads to accommodation, protection, or neglect. Using gender ideologies, I will reveal how competitive and cooperative strategies emerge to negotiate dependence, divide power, and sustain power asymmetries.

Using Social Norms to Elicit Environmental Cooperation