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Commitment, Dominance, and Mate Value: Power Bases in Long-Term Heterosexual Couples
Jitka Lindová1,2, Tereza Habešová1, Kateřina Klapilová1,2
1Department of Psychology and Life Sciences, Faculty of Humanities, Charles University, 182 00 Prague, Czech Republic.
Summary
Relationship power is linked to a partner's agreeableness and commitment. For women, dominance and mate value also significantly predict relationship power, aligning with evolutionary theories.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Evolutionary Psychology
- Sociology
Background:
- Relationship power dynamics are influenced by various factors, including economic, personal, and affective resources.
- Evolutionary psychology suggests that personality dominance and mate value may serve as alternative personal power bases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relative contributions of economic, personal (dominance, mate value), and affective (agreeableness/commitment) power bases to perceived relationship power.
- To test evolutionary predictions regarding the role of dominance and mate value as personal power bases, particularly for women.
Main Methods:
- A study involving 84 Czech heterosexual couples.
- Economic power assessed via education, income, and work status.
- Personal power assessed through personality dominance (IPIP-DA, NEO-PI-R) and partner-reported mate value (TSDI).
- Affective power assessed via partner-reported agreeableness/commitment (TSDI).
Main Results:
- Perceived relationship power positively correlated with partner's agreeableness/commitment.
- Women's personality dominance and mate value were significant predictors of perceived relationship power.
- Power bases had a stronger effect for women than for men.
Conclusions:
- Agreeableness/commitment is a key affective power base in relationships.
- Dominance and mate value function as personal power bases for women, supporting evolutionary hypotheses.
- Gender differences in power base influence may reflect relationship investment or evolving relationship equality preferences in the Czech Republic.
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