Is there inherent power in the act of observation? Saul Alinsky (1971) stated that “Power is not only what you have, but what your enemy thinks you have.” The idea of perceived power is usually applied to the dynamic between parties, but what about the individual passively observing the power dynamics and the subsequent conflicts they form? Does the external observer wield the greatest power within a conflict because the action of observation inherently influences the outcome of a scenario? The Copenhagen Interpretation, a long-standing quantum mechanics theory supports the concept that the act of observation inherently affects the outcome. Power is defined by the capacity to produce effects, and if the act of observation inherently affects the outcome, the act of observation would inherently have power.

The power inherent in observation can be witnessed in several different ways. The conflict parties’ awareness of the observer could alter the behavior exhibited within the conflict. This may be because there is moralistic trust between the conflict parties and the observer, and it could psychologically shift the perspective of the conflict parties into fearing a consequence from violating that trust. If the individual observing does not understand the roles of the individuals in the conflict, it could disrupt the theatrics associated with those roles. When the parties in a conflict become aware of the observer, there is an opportunity to disrupt or reinforce the power dynamics witnessed within the conflict. The observation paired with inaction uses the inherent power to further strengthen the power structure and environment that created the power imbalance. The final example is the observer can decide to actively wield the inherent power they were granted by observation and take direct action to influence the outcome of the conflict.

There are several examples eluding to the idea of observational power throughout history, and the sentiment is shared in many famous quotes. South African Clergyman Desmond Tutu once said, “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” This quote reinforces the idea that the power granted to observers, is so great that inaction reinforces the structural power of a conflict party. The reinforcement of structural power can widen the power distance between parties, increasing the opportunity for abuse. During World War II, the United States wielded observational power by delaying participation in the war, despite witnessing the power dynamics and consequently influenced the amount of abuse that took place (The United States: Isolation and Intervention, n.d).

Observation holds inherent power in the way it affects a scenario or conflict, and how it can influence the power dynamics between the parties. However, it is not necessary for there to be an actual observer to influence the effects, there just needs to be a belief that there is an observer to influence effects. The influence of the belief of an observer can be seen in the way that individuals behave before engaging in a conflict. Those engaging in conflict will often search for the possibility of an observer and adjust behavior depending on whether the parties believe they are being watched. The addition of an observer in a conflict scenario can change the power distance between parties before choosing action or inaction. The perceived power of the observer is heightened before action or inaction, in that the perceived power of the observer exists in the vast realm of possibility, prior to a decision narrowing the scope of power.

In the Stanford Prison Experiment, the dynamics of power through roles, culture and hierarchy were explored. The student prisoners accepted a wide power distance between themselves and the student guards, based on their cultural understanding of the power distance that exists between those two roles. Zimbardo, who was conducting the experiment, assigned himself a role in the experiment which had an associated power dynamic that removed his ability to observe, by becoming a part of the conflict. Given the association with these roles and the inherent hierarchy to the structure of the experiment, it would seem as though Zimbardo as a professor, researcher, and warden would have the greatest power within the dynamic to influence the outcome. After several days into the experiment, recent Ph.D. graduate Christina Maslach arrived to observe the conditions of the experiment. Maslach expressed her deep concern to Zimbardo about the abusive behavior she observed and persuaded Zimbardo to end the experiment early.

Despite the existing hierarchy outside the experiment, and the roles associated within the experiment, Maslach held the greatest power by influencing the outcome of the experiment by persuading to end it. An external observer to a conflict seems to hold greater power through the act of observation, despite existing hierarchies or power structures. The observer holds the power of possibility in all that exists outside of the power dynamic and subsequent conflict. The observation of a conflict is intrinsically entangled in the outcome, by changing the existing power dynamic through the addition of an outside observer it changes the behavior of the parties involved in a conflict.

Resources:

Alinsky, S. D. (1971). Rules for radicals: A practical primer for realistic radicals. New York: Random House.

Coleman, P. T. (Year of Publication). Power and Conflict. In D. G. Pruitt & P. J. Carnevale (Eds.), The

Handbook of Conflict Resolution: Theory and Practice (pp. Pages of the chapter). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

“The Copenhagen Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics.” In Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, edited by Edward N. Zalta, Stanford University, URL: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/qm-copenhagen/

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. (n.d.). The United States: Isolation and Intervention. Retrieved from https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/the-united-states-isolation- intervention#:~:text=The%20United%20States%20remained%20neutral,Japanese%20attack%20on%20Pearl%20Harbor