A core feature of organized societies is the existence of power relations, so that some people are in a position to control the outcomes of other people. Yet, the stability of the power structure depends on the reactions of the powerless toward the power imbalance. Within the framework of control motivation, these reactions could be conceptualized in terms of control deprivation and control restoration. However, we suggest that, in social situations, subjective control feelings do not mirror the objective partition of power. Three experiments show that the powerless derive their feelings of personal control from the social categorization of the powerful others, leading to vicarious feelings of control when those in power are perceived as ingroup members. Results are discussed in terms of both Social Identity Theory and the heuristic value of control motivation for exploring the neglected question of intergroup power relations
