The Desire for Power and Perceptions of Heterosexual Romantic Relationships: The Moderating Roles of Perceived Power and Gender

Abstract

The purpose of the present studies was to examine whether the associations that the desire for power had with perceptions of the romantic relationship (e.g., relationship satisfaction, commitment) were moderated by perceived power and gender. Study 1 examined these associations in a sample of 376 U.S. heterosexual participants. Results showed that the desire for power had negative indirect associations with commitment through relationship satisfaction, investment, and quality of alternatives. Further, the association that the desire for power had with relationship satisfaction was moderated by perceived power and gender such that this association was especially strong for women who perceived themselves as having low levels of power. In addition, there was a significant negative association between the desire for power and commitment for men but not women. Study 2 examined both members of 74 U.S. heterosexual romantic couples. Results of dyadic analyses revealed that the desire for power reported by women was especially important for the perceptions of the romantic relationship for both members of the couple. For example, women who desired more power in their relationships reported less commitment and had male partners who were less committed to the relationship as well. Discussion focuses on the implications of these results for understanding the connections between power and perceptions of romantic relationships.