Narcissism and perceived power in romantic relationships

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 124-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer K. Vrabel ◽  
Virgil Zeigler-Hill ◽  
Mark Lehtman ◽  
Karen Hernandez
Keyword(s):  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Romantic Relationship ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Relationship Functioning ◽  
Self Defense ◽  
Self Protection ◽  
Romantic Relationship Functioning ◽  
Perceived Power

The purpose of the present research was to examine the connections that narcissistic admiration (an agentic form of narcissism characterized by assertive self-enhancement and self-promotion) and narcissistic rivalry (an antagonistic form of narcissism characterized by self-protection and self-defense) had with perceived power in the context of romantic relationships. The results of Study 1 ( N = 375) revealed that narcissistic admiration had a positive association with perceived power, whereas narcissistic rivalry was not associated with perceived power. In Study 2 ( N = 352), we extended the findings from Study 1 by examining whether perceived power moderated the associations that narcissistic admiration and narcissistic rivalry had with romantic relationship functioning. The results revealed that narcissistic admiration and narcissistic rivalry had unique and divergent associations with romantic relationship functioning. Further, the results showed that perceived power moderated the association that narcissistic rivalry had with romantic relationship functioning. Discussion focuses on the implications of these results for understanding the connection between narcissism and perceived power in romantic relationships.

Multiple Dimensions of Childhood Abuse and Neglect Prospectively Predict Poorer Adult Romantic Functioning

2017 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 238-251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Madelyn H. Labella ◽  
William F. Johnson ◽  
Jodi Martin ◽  
Sarah K. Ruiz ◽  
Jessica L. Shankman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Childhood Abuse ◽  
Romantic Relationship ◽  
Relationship Functioning ◽  
Relational Competence ◽  
Multiple Dimensions ◽  
Abuse And Neglect ◽  
Romantic Competence ◽  
Romantic Relationship Functioning

The present study used data from the Minnesota Longitudinal Study of Risk and Adaptation (MLSRA) to investigate how multiple dimensions of childhood abuse and neglect predict romantic relationship functioning in adulthood. Several dimensions of abuse and neglect (any experience, type, chronicity, co-occurrence, and perpetrator) were rated prospectively from birth through age 17.5 years. Multimethod assessments of relational competence and violence in romantic relationships were conducted repeatedly from ages 20 to 32 years. As expected, experiencing childhood abuse and neglect was associated with lower romantic competence and more relational violence in adulthood. Follow-up analyses indicated that lower romantic competence was specifically associated with physical abuse, maternal perpetration, chronicity, and co-occurrence, whereas more relational violence was uniquely associated with nonparental perpetration. We discuss these novel prospective findings in the context of theory and research on antecedents of romantic relationship functioning.

scholarly journals Attached at the lips: The influence of romantic kissing motives and romantic attachment styles on relationship satisfaction

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-30
Author(s):  
Danica J. Kulibert ◽  
Elle A. Moore ◽  
Melinda M. Dertinger ◽  
Ashley E. Thompson
Keyword(s):  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Relationship Satisfaction ◽  
Attachment Style ◽  
Attachment Styles ◽  
Romantic Relationship ◽  
Goal Attainment ◽  
Romantic Attachment ◽  
Relationship Functioning ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Although romantic kissing is an important part of relationship functioning, little research has focused on motives for romantic kissing and how they may relate to other aspects of romantic relationships. To understand how romantic kissing impacts romantic relationship functioning, the current study assessed the relationship between romantic attachment, romantic kissing motives, and relationship satisfaction. Overall, it was hypothesized that (a) those reporting more sexual/explicit kissing motives and fewer goal attainment/insecurity motives would report higher relationship satisfaction, (b) those reporting a more secure attachment style would report higher relationship satisfaction, and (c) the relationship between romantic kissing motives and relationship satisfaction would vary according to one’s romantic attachment styles. Results from a hierarchical linear regression with 286 adults, all of whom were currently in romantic relationships, revealed that sexual/relational (β = 0.25) and goal attainment/insecurity kissing motives (β = -0.35) predicted relationship satisfaction. However, the impact of kissing motives on relationship satisfaction varied according to one’s romantic attachment. Specifically, the influence of sexual/relational motives was only significant for avoidantly attached individuals, whereas the influence of goal attainment/insecurity motives was significant for avoidantly and anxiously attachment individuals. Overall, this suggests that sexual/explicit romantic kissing motives serve to enhance the relationships of insecurely attached individuals, but not securely attached individuals. Furthermore, goal attainment/insecure motives had a negative effect on the relationship satisfaction of insecurely attached individuals, but not securely attached individuals. This study has important implications for both practitioners working with romantic couples and researchers studying romantic relationships.

Adapted Self-Affirmation and Conflict Management in Romantic Relationships

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karina Schumann ◽  
Emily Grace Ritchie ◽  
Anna Dragotta
Keyword(s):  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
The Self ◽  
Relationship Functioning ◽  
Romantic Couples ◽  
Constructive Conflict ◽  
Big Picture ◽  
Destructive Conflict ◽  
One Year ◽  
Self Protection ◽  
At Will

Conflict can threaten our romantic relationships if managed ineffectively. Because destructive conflict responses are often fueled by self-protection motives, we theorized that protecting the self via self-affirmation could foster more constructive conflict responses. But how might people spontaneously use self-affirmation to improve their conflict practices? In a longitudinal intervention study (N=242) with romantic couples, we tested whether instructing partners to place themselves in the frame of mind that self-affirmation theoretically fosters—a big-picture focus that cultivates an expansive view of the self and reflection on one’s important values—could help people manage their conflicts more effectively. Compared to a control condition, couples who were instructed to take this “big-picture” focus reported more constructive conflict responses (e.g., empathy; responsiveness) and greater relationship functioning (e.g., higher relationship quality; lower avoidance) both immediately and one year after the intervention. This study thus offers a strategy people can use at will to improve their relationships.

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