Power exertion strategies in couples: A Q-methodological investigation of self- and partner-perceived frameworks.
Creators: name: Pinsent, Celine.
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2000
Subjects: subject: Psychology, Social.

description: To date, power exertion strategies in intimate relationships have been studied primarily using R-methodology techniques (e.g., Falbo, 1977; Fablo and Peplau, 1980). These studies have most often produced a two-dimensional model of power exertion strategies. The model used by Falbo and Peplau (1980) is composed of two bidirectional dimensions consisting of a laterality dimension (bilateral to unilateral) and a directness dimension (direct to indirect). The aim of the present study was to determine whether using an alternative methodology developed to measure operant subjectivity, namely Q-methodology, would provide similar results to those found using R-methodology. Nonviolent, heterosexual couples who had been married or living together for at least six months were recruited for the present study. Fifty-four participants (27 couples) completed three computerized Q-sorts based on the perceived usage of 60 power-exertion strategies from the self, partner and ideal-perspectives. In addition, couple members completed self-reports designed to measure intimacy (Miller Social Intimacy Scale - Miller and Lefcourt, 1982), relationship adjustment (Dyadic Adjustment Scale - Short Form - Spanier, 1976 and Hunsley, Pinsent, Lefebvre, James-Tanner, and Vito, 1995), impression management (Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding Impression Management Subscale - Paulhaus, 1991), psychological reactance (Hong's Psychological Reactance Scale - Hong and Page, 1989), dominance (General Population Dominance Scale - Roy, 1981), machiavellianism (MACH IV - Christie and Geis, 1970), sex-role egalitarianism (Sex-role Egalitarianism Scale - Short Form - King and King, 1994), and perspective-taking (Self-dyadic Perspective Taking Scale and Other-dyadic Perspective Taking Scale - Long and Andrews, 1990). Frameworks derived from the Q-sort data indicate that participants actively use the dimensions of laterality and directness to describe their own and their partners' use of power exertion strategies in their intimate relationships. When asked to describe the "ideal partner", participants used only the dimension of laterality. Overall, participants reported using significantly more bilateral and direct strategies in comparison to unilateral and indirect strategies. When describing their own power exertion strategies, women and those with lower levels of psychological reactance were more likely to exclusively use the bilateral/lateral dimension. In comparison, men and those individuals with higher levels of psychological reactance were more likely to exclusively use the directness dimension. When describing their partners' use of power exertion strategies, those individuals using primarily the bilateral/unilateral dimension were more likely to have higher levels of social desirability, higher levels of perspective-taking, lower levels of psychological reactance, and lower levels of machiavellianism, in comparison to those individuals who primarily used the direct/indirect dimension.