In Western cultures, most people enter romantic relationships expecting equality. Only about half of romantic relationships, however, have a relatively equal power balance1.

People lack power when their needs depend on the actions of another person, and they have power when they can control others’ ability to achieve their goals. Having power can significantly change how people feel and behave. It can make them more confident, feel more entitled, and act more impulsively.

This boost in self-assurance can spill over into people’s romantic and sexual lives, making them feel more attractive and desirable. While this might increase their interest in romantic partners, it can unfortunately lead to treating others as objects, being overly sexual, or even being aggressive2.

In romantic relationships, feeling powerful has been linked to some harmful behaviors in the intimate sphere. For example, someone might refuse to use protection during sex3 or pressure their partner into sexual activities4. Our recent research5 looked at whether feeling powerful in a relationship affects interest in other potential partners.

We thought that feeling powerful in a relationship might make someone believe they are more valuable as a partner than their current significant other. This idea comes from the understanding that when you feel powerful, you feel less dependent on others, think more highly of yourself, and feel more confident that others find you desirable.

In a romantic........

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