In the grocery store one day,you spy a mother and her two unruly children.She consistently threatens that she is going to spank them when she gets them home.They ignore her threats.Finally,she swats one of them on the butt,making the other child laugh,suggesting that she has lost control of the situation.This could be seen as:
A) coercion.
B) idle threat.
C) the paradox of authority.
D) Keynesian authority.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The scenario described illustrates the paradox of authority, where the actual use of force or punishment undermines the authority's perceived power, as the authority figure's threats are not taken seriously until physical action is taken, and even then, it's met with laughter, indicating a loss of control rather than reinforcement of authority.

In the Grocery Store One Day,you Spy a Mother and Her