25 Oct 2005 16:27 AR ANRV264-PS57-14.tex XMLPublishSM(2004/02/24) P1: KUV 10.1146/annurev.psych.57.102904.190038 Annu. Rev. Psychol. 2006. 57:375–400 doi: 10.1146/annurev.psych.57.102904.190038 Copyright c 2006 by Annual Reviews. All rights reserved First published online as a Review in Advance on July 8, 2005 PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES ON LEGITIMACY AND LEGITIMATION Tom R.Tyler Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, New York 10003; email:
[email protected] KeyWords authority, leadership, procedural justice, intergroup relations, stereotyping ■ Abstract Legitimacy is a psychological property of an authority, institution, or social arrangement that leads those connected to it to believe that it is appropriate, proper, and just. Because of legitimacy, people feel that they ought to defer to deci- sions and rules, following them voluntarily out of obligation rather than out of fear of punishment or anticipation of reward. Being legitimate is important to the success of authorities, institutions, and institutional arrangements since it is difficult to exert influence over others based solely upon the possession and use of power. Being able to gain voluntary acquiescence from most people, most of the time, due to their sense of obligation increases effectiveness during periods of scarcity, crisis, and conflict. The concept of legitimacy has a long history within social thought and social psychology, and it has emerged as increasingly important within recent research on the dynamics of political, legal, and social systems. CONTENTS PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES ON LEGITIMACY AND LEGITIMATION ............................................... 376 Legitimacy ........................................................ 376 Legitimacy in Psychology ............................................ 378 Legitimacy and the Dynamics of Authority ..............................