The use of agents in negotiations is ubiquitous. Little is known, however, about the divergent psychological experiences of agents and principals in negotiations and their potential downstream consequences. The current research investigated how one’s role in a negotiation (as a principal or an agent) affects feelings of control, and how these feelings determine subjective value. In Studies 1 and 2, participants were randomly assigned to role-play principals or agents in deal-making negotiations. In both studies, agents reported feeling more control than principals, and control positively predicted the subjective value derived from the negotiation. In Studies 3 and 4, experimentally enhancing feelings of control influenced subjective value for principals. These findings point to the potential psychological costs of using agents. The findings advance research on subjective value in negotiations and highlight the critical role of control in principal–agent relationships.

中文翻译：

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来自控制的价值：委托人和代理人对谈判的主观评价

在谈判中使用代理人无处不在。然而，关于代理人和委托人在谈判中的不同心理体验及其潜在的下游后果，我们知之甚少。目前的研究调查了一个人在谈判中的角色（作为委托人或代理人）如何影响控制感，以及这些感觉如何决定主观价值。在研究 1 和 2 中，参与者被随机分配到交易谈判中的角色扮演委托人或代理人。在这两项研究中，代理人报告说比委托人感觉更多控制，并且控制积极预测谈判产生的主观价值。在研究 3 和 4 中，通过实验增强控制感会影响校长的主观价值。这些发现指出了使用代理的潜在心理成本。