Power’s Defining Characteristics

Most of us won’t ever experience power wielded as brutally as in The Hunger Games. But power does permeate our everyday lives and is an integral part of interpersonal communication and relationships. Power determines how partners relate to one another, who controls relationship decisions, and whose goals will prevail during conflicts (Dunbar, 2004). Let’s consider power’s defining characteristics, as suggested by scholars William Wilmot and Joyce Hocker (2010).