Power predicts declines in oppositional behavior over time in newlyweds

In romantic relationships, people's goals will inevitably diverge from their partner's at times. When these conflicts arise, people often oppose their partner, such as by blaming their partner or making passive-aggressive comments. Given that opposition aims to influence a partner's attitudes or behavior, oppositional behavior is likely tied to people's sense of power in the relationship. However, past theory and research provide competing hypotheses about the nature of this association; specifically, there are reasons to expect that power could either increase or decrease opposition and/or opposition could either increase or decrease power. Further, previous research addressing this association has been cross-sectional, thus preventing conclusions about the temporal association between power and opposition in romantic relationships. A 2-year longitudinal study of newlyweds indicated that a person's feelings of power predicted declines in both their own and their partners' opposition, but a person's opposition did not predict changes in either their own or their partner's feelings of power. These findings lend support to theories of power in romantic relationships that posit that power decreases oppositional behavior. Moreover, they suggest that addressing either or both partners' feelings of power may be a fruitful avenue for reducing romantic couples' oppositional behavior during conflicts. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).