Three studies examined how dominance and power relate to empathy (i.e., empathic concern and perspective-taking), and the potential explanatory role of other-focus. Across studies, dominance predicted reduced empathy, whereas power predicted increased empathy. The relationship between power and empathy appeared more pronounced for perspective-taking. Mediation analyses suggested that the divergent effects of dominance and power may be explained in part by how they influence other-focused tendencies. Study 3 utilized an experimental manipulation of self-construal to examine the potential role of other-focus. A significant interaction between power and condition supported the notion that power may positively relate to empathy by increasing other-focus. Studies 2 and 3 examined the role of prestige and found that the relationship between power and empathy differed depending on whether analyses controlled for dominance or prestige. These studies suggest that dominance, as an individual difference, can reduce the tendency to focus on others and decrease empathy, whereas power and prestige, as interpersonal constructs, may enhance other-focused and empathic tendencies as a means to maintain that power. These findings also suggest that the measure of personal power is not inherently neutral, but rather composed in part of items that overlap with prestige and items that overlap with dominance.

三项研究考察了支配地位和权力与移情（即移情关注和观点采择）的关系，以及其他焦点的潜在解释作用。在所有研究中，支配地位预测同理心减少，而权力预测同理心增加。权力和同理心之间的关系在观点采择中显得更加明显。中介分析表明，支配地位和权力的不同影响可以部分解释为它们如何影响以其他为中心的趋势。研究 3 利用自我构念的实验操作来检查其他焦点的潜在作用。权力与条件之间的显着相互作用支持了这样一种观点，即权力可能通过增加对他人的关注而与同理心产生正相关。研究 2 和 3 检验了声望的作用，发现权力和同理心之间的关系因分析是控制支配地位还是声望而异。这些研究表明，作为个体差异的支配地位可以减少关注他人的倾向并降低同理心，而权力和声望作为人际关系结构，可能会增强关注他人和同理心的倾向，以此作为维持这种权力的一种手段。这些发现还表明，个人权力的衡量标准并非本质上是中性的，而是由与声望重叠的部分项目和与支配地位重叠的项目组成。可以减少关注他人的倾向并减少同理心，而权力和声望作为人际关系结构，可以增强关注他人和同理心的倾向，以此作为保持这种权力的一种手段。这些发现还表明，个人权力的衡量标准并非本质上是中性的，而是由与声望重叠的部分项目和与支配地位重叠的项目组成。可以减少关注他人的倾向并减少同理心，而权力和声望作为人际关系结构，可以增强关注他人和同理心的倾向，以此作为保持这种权力的一种手段。这些发现还表明，个人权力的衡量标准并非本质上是中性的，而是由与声望重叠的部分项目和与支配地位重叠的项目组成。