In 1959, social psychologists John French and Bertram Raven studied power, classifying five kinds: legitimate, reward, coercive, expert and referent. These power bases still figure prominently in ...

John French and Bertram Raven researched the bases of social power in 1959. The dimensions of power they identified—coercive, reward, legitimate, expert, and referent—are very relevant in ...

The bases of power. Social psychologists John French and Bertram Raven ‘s time-tested framework described five bases of interpersonal power, or the ability to effect change.