A polymer composition, comprising in admixture, an aqueous polymer system; and an aqueous thickener composition comprising, based on the weight of the aqueous thickener composition: 1% to 60% by weight of an associative thickener, wherein the associative thickener has a backbone comprising (a) a polysaccharide, (b) a polyvinyl alcohol or (c) a polyoxyalkylene segment greater than 10 oxyalkylene units in length and one or more segments selected from (i) a urethane segment, (ii) a urea segment, (iii) an ester segment, (iv) an ether segment, (v) an acetal segment, (vi) a ketal segment, (vii) an aminoplast segment, (viii) a segment comprising the residue of the reaction of an epihalohydrin with an alcohol, an amine, or a mercaptan, and (ix) a segment comprising the residue of the reaction of a trihaloalkane with an alcohol, an amine, or a mercaptan, and (x) combinations of the foregoing, or wherein the associative thickener is a hydrophobically modified cellulosic polymer; 40% to 99% by weight of water; and 0% to 15% by weight of an organic co-solvent, surfactant, cyclodextrin compound, or any combination thereof; characterized in that said associative thickener further comprises a plurality of hydrophobic groups attached to or within the backbone wherein one or more of said hydrophobic groups comprises a secondary amine, which is a nitrogen with bonds to only one hydrogen and two carbons wherein neither of the two adjoining carbons are classified as carbonyls or thionyl, or a tertiary amine, which is a nitrogen with bonds to only two or three carbons wherein the adjoining carbon atoms are not classified as carbonyls or thionyls, or a tertiary phosphine, which is a phosphorus with bonds to only two or three carbons wherein the adjoining carbon atoms are not classified as carbonyls or thionyls, or a combination thereof, and optionally a quaternary amine, with the proviso that less than 80% of the total amine functionality is a quaternary amine; wherein said hydrophobic groups are chosen from radicals and polymeric groups comprising at least one hydrocarbon-based chain having at least 6 carbon atoms chosen from linear and branched, saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbon-based chains; and wherein the secondary amine, or the tertiary amine, or the tertiary phosphine, or combination thereof, are substantially unprotonated. an aqueous polymer system; and an aqueous thickener composition comprising, based on the weight of the aqueous thickener composition: 1% to 60% by weight of an associative thickener, wherein the associative thickener has a backbone comprising (a) a polysaccharide, (b) a polyvinyl alcohol or (c) a polyoxyalkylene segment greater than 10 oxyalkylene units in length and one or more segments selected from (i) a urethane segment, (ii) a urea segment, (iii) an ester segment, (iv) an ether segment, (v) an acetal segment, (vi) a ketal segment, (vii) an aminoplast segment, (viii) a segment comprising the residue of the reaction of an epihalohydrin with an alcohol, an amine, or a mercaptan, and (ix) a segment comprising the residue of the reaction of a trihaloalkane with an alcohol, an amine, or a mercaptan, and (x) combinations of the foregoing, or wherein the associative thickener is a hydrophobically modified cellulosic polymer; 40% to 99% by weight of water; and 0% to 15% by weight of an organic co-solvent, surfactant, cyclodextrin compound, or any combination thereof; characterized in that said associative thickener further comprises a plurality of hydrophobic groups attached to or within the backbone wherein one or more of said hydrophobic groups comprises a secondary amine, which is a nitrogen with bonds to only one hydrogen and two carbons wherein neither of the two adjoining carbons are classified as carbonyls or thionyl, or a tertiary amine, which is a nitrogen with bonds to only two or three carbons wherein the adjoining carbon atoms are not classified as carbonyls or thionyls, or a tertiary phosphine, which is a phosphorus with bonds to only two or three carbons wherein the adjoining carbon atoms are not classified as carbonyls or thionyls, or a combination thereof, and optionally a quaternary amine, with the proviso that less than 80% of the total amine functionality is a quaternary amine; wherein said hydrophobic groups are chosen from radicals and polymeric groups comprising at least one hydrocarbon-based chain having at least 6 carbon atoms chosen from linear and branched, saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbon-based chains; and wherein the secondary amine, or the tertiary amine, or the tertiary phosphine, or combination thereof, are substantially unprotonated. 1% to 60% by weight of an associative thickener, wherein the associative thickener has a backbone comprising (a) a polysaccharide, (b) a polyvinyl alcohol or (c) a polyoxyalkylene segment greater than 10 oxyalkylene units in length and one or more segments selected from (i) a urethane segment, (ii) a urea segment, (iii) an ester segment, (iv) an ether segment, (v) an acetal segment, (vi) a ketal segment, (vii) an aminoplast segment, (viii) a segment comprising the residue of the reaction of an epihalohydrin with an alcohol, an amine, or a mercaptan, and (ix) a segment comprising the residue of the reaction of a trihaloalkane with an alcohol, an amine, or a mercaptan, and (x) combinations of the foregoing, or wherein the associative thickener is a hydrophobically modified cellulosic polymer; 40% to 99% by weight of water; and 0% to 15% by weight of an organic co-solvent, surfactant, cyclodextrin compound, or any combination thereof;