Abstract
This study explored the roles of referent power (i.e., influence based on sense of identification) and expert power (i.e., influence based on knowledge and expertise) in Schizophrenics Anonymous (SA), a mutual-help group for persons experiencing a schizophrenia-related illness. The study describes SA participants' experience of referent and expert power with SA members, SA leaders, and with mental health professionals. It also examines whether or not referent and expert power ascribed to fellow SA participants predicts the perceived helpfulness of the group. One hundred fifty-six SA participants were surveyed. Participants reported experiencing higher levels of referent power with fellow SA members and leaders than with mental health professionals. They reported higher levels of expert power for mental health professionals and SA leaders than for SA members. The respondents' ratings of their SA group's helpfulness was significantly correlated with ratings of referent and expert power. Although expert power was the best independent predictor of helpfulness, a significant interaction between referent and expert power indicated that when members reported high referent power, expert power was not related to helpfulness. These results are interpreted to suggest that there are multiple forms of social influence at work in mutual help.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
Antze, P. (1976). The role of ideologies in peer psychotherapy groups. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 12,323–346.
Borkman, T. (1976). Experiential knowledge: A new concept for the analysis of self-help groups. Social Service Review, 50,445–456.
Borkman, T. (1990). Experiential, professional and lay frames of reference. In T. J. Powell (Ed.), Working with self-help (pp. 3–30). Silver Spring, MD: NASW Press.
Borkman, T. (1995). Viewing mutual help groups as experientially-based commons in the voluntary sector: Beyond the human service paradigm. Paper presented at the fourth Biennial Conference of the Society for Community Research and Action, Chicago.
Brown, G. W., Birley, J. L. T., & Wing, J. K. (1972). The influence of family life on the course of schizophrenic disorders: A replication. British Journal of Psychiatry, 121,241–258.
French, J. R. P., & Raven, B. H. (1959). The bases of social power. In D. Cartwright (Ed.), Studies in social power (pp. 150–167). pAnn Arbor, MI: Institute for Social Research.
Hinkin, T. R., & Schriesheim, C. A. (1989). Development and application of new scales to measure French and Raven (1959) bases of social power. Journal of Applied Psychology, 74(4), 561–567.
Holmes-Eber, P., & Riger, S. (1990). Hospitalization and the composition of mental patients' social networks. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 16(1), 157–164.
Humphreys, K., & Rappaport, J. (1994). Researching self-help/mutual aid groups and organizations: Many roads, one journey. Applied and Preventive Psychology, 3,217–231.
John P. (1997). Schizophrenics Anonymous and psychiatric rehabilitation. In C. Mowbray, C. Jasper, D. Moxley, & L. Howell (Eds.), Consumers as providers in psychiatric rehabilitation (pp. 95–105). Columbia, MD: IAPSRS.
Katz, A. H., & Bender, E. I. (1976). The strength in us.New York: New Viewpoints.
Kennedy, M., & Humphreys, K. (1994). Understanding worldview transformation in members of mutual help groups. Prevention in Human Services, 11(1), 181–198.
Kurtz, L. F. (1990). The self-help movement: Review of the past decade of research. Social Work With Groups, 13(3), 101–115.
Maton, K. I., & Salem, D. A. (1995). Organizational characteristics of empowering community settings: A multiple case study approach. American Journal of Community Psychology, 23,631–656.
Meeks, S., & Murrell, S. A. (1994). Service providers in the social networks of clients with severe mental illness. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 20(2), 399–406.
Merini, A., & Contini, G. (1993). The quality of life of the schizophrenic patient's family. In G. Benedetti & P. M. Furlan (Eds.), The psychotherapy of schizophrenia (pp. 253–255). Seattle: Hogrefe & Huber.
Powell, T. J. (1987). Self-help organizations and professional practicehv.Silver Spring, MD: National Association of Social Workers.
Powell, T. J. (1990). Self-help, professional help, and informal help: Competing or complementary systems? In T. J. Powell (Ed.), Working with self-help. Silver Spring, MD: NASW Press.
Rappaport, J. (1993). Narrative studies, personal stories, and identity transformation in the mutual help context. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 29(2), 239–256.
Rappaport, J., Reischl, T. M., & Zimmerman, M. A. (1992). Mutual help mechanisms in the empowerment of former mental patients. In D. Saleebey (Ed.), The Strengths Perspective in Social Work Practice (pp. 84–97). New York: Longman.
Raven, B. H., & Litman-Adizes, T. (1986). Interpersonal influence and social power in health promotion. Advances in Health Education and Promotion, 1,181–209.
Salem, D. A., Bogat, G. A., & Reid, C. (1997). Mutual-Help Goes On-Line. Journal of Community Psychology, 25(2), 189–207.
Salem, D. A., Seidman, E., & Rappaport, J. (1988). Community treatment of the mentally ill: The promise of mutual help organizations. Social Work, 33,403–408.
Salem, D. A., Gant, L., & Campbell, R. (1998). The initiation of self help groups within residential treatment settings. Community Mental Health Journal, 34,419–429.
Schizophrenics Anonymous (1989). Schizophrenics Anonymous: A self-help support group. Southfield, MI: Schizophrenics Anonymous.
Schubert, M. A., & Borkman, T. (1994). Identifying the experiential knowledge developed within a self-help group (pp. 227–246) In T. J. Powell (Ed.), Understanding the self-help organization: Frameworks and findings. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Student, K. R. (1968). Supervisory influence and work-group performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 52,188–194.
Thamhain, J., & Gemmill, G. R. (1974). Influence styles of project managers: Some project performance correlates. Academy of Management Journal, 17,216–224.
Torrey, E. F. (1995). Surviving schizophrenia: A manual for families, consumers and providers, 3rd ed. New York: Harper Collins.
Zinman, S. (1987). Definition of self-help groups. In Su Budd, Howie the Harp, & S. Zinman (Eds.) Reaching across: Mental health clients helping each other (pp. 7–15). Riverside: California Network of Mental Health Clients.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Salem, D.A., Reischl, T.M., Gallacher, F. et al. The Role of Referent and Expert Power in Mutual Help. Am J Community Psychol 28, 303–324 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005101320639
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005101320639