The Pursuit of Power Corrupts
通过三个实验室研究，发现为增加自身权力而投资外部选项会引发机会主义行为，即使控制外部选项带来的杠杆效应后，这种投资仍会增强个体的权利感，进而提高对当前关系的期望并导致剥削，而他人往往未能预见这一风险。
Across three laboratory studies, this paper illustrates how a common strategic decision aimed at increasing one’s own power—investing in outside options—can lead to opportunistic behavior in exchange relationships. We show that the extent to which individuals have invested in creating outside options increases the likelihood that they will exploit their current exchange partners, even after controlling for the leverage provided by the outside options. Our results demonstrate that having previously sunk investments in an outside option leads to a heightened sense of entitlement, even when the outside option has been foregone. In turn, feelings of entitlement result in higher aspirations for what is to be gained in the current relationship, and these aspirations fuel opportunism. Finally, we show that other parties may fail to anticipate these effects, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation.