Synonyms
Power
Introduction
Power* is one of the most important aspects of all interpersonal interactions because it operates “under the surface,” affecting the communication choices we make even if conflict is not overt. Power* is the capacity to produce intended effects and, in particular, the ability to influence the behavior of another person. In contrast to power*, which may be latent and covert, dominance refers to behaviors that are overt and visible (Dunbar 2015). Dominance, or it’s corollary, submission, can be examined nonverbally in a variety of ways including kinesic cues (facial expressions, gestures, and body posture), as well as through the use of personal space, touch, vocalics, and other contextual cues of precedence and leadership (Hall et al. 2005). The aggressiveness of verbal messages that are used as well as psychological or physical intimate partner violence would also be characterized as dominance strategies. In family conflicts, a variety of these dominance...
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsReferences
Barbatsis, G. S., Wong, M. R., & Herek, G. M. (1983). A struggle for dominance: Relational communication patterns in television drama. Communication Quarterly, 31(2), 148–155.
Dunbar, N. E. (2015). A review of theoretical approaches to interpersonal power. Review of Communication, 15(1), 1–18.
Dunbar, N. E., & Burgoon, J. K. (2005). The measurement of nonverbal dominance. In V. Manusov (Ed.), The sourcebook of nonverbal measures: Going beyond words (pp. 361–374). Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Hall, J. A., Coats, E. J., & LeBeau, L. S. (2005). Nonverbal behavior and the vertical dimension of social relations: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 131, 898–924.
Honeycutt, J. M., Wellman, L. B., & Larson, M. S. (1997). Beneath family role portrayals: An additional measure of communication influence using time series analyses of turn at talk on a popular television program. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 41(1), 40–57.
Sabourin, T. C. (1995). The role of negative reciprocity in spouse abuse: A relational control analysis. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 23, 271–283.
Vall, B., Seikkula, J., Laitila, A., & Holma, J. (2016). Dominance and dialogue in couple therapy for psychological intimate partner violence. Contemporary Family Therapy, 38(2), 223–232.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Section Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this entry
Cite this entry
Dunbar, N.E. (2019). Dominance and Submission in Family Dynamics. In: Lebow, J.L., Chambers, A.L., Breunlin, D.C. (eds) Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-49425-8_521
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-49425-8_521
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-49423-4
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-49425-8
eBook Packages: Behavioral Science and PsychologyReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences