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UK Wedding News

23/07/2013

Arguing Couples Want Their Partner To 'Relinquish Power'

A new study has suggested that modern relationships are based on a power struggle.

The research, which was carried out by Baylor University and published in the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, found that when arguing with a partner, winning is actually more important to us than getting an apology.

The study looked at 455 married couples and asked them what their ideal resolution would be to a current argument or disagreement with their other half.

Surprisingly, most participants said they would rather their partner 'relinquish power', than offer an apology.

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The report says the 'submission' can be in many forms, from a spouse admitting they are wrong or their faults, to giving the other more independence, showing more respect and being willing to compromise.

The other most desired outcomes of a conflict included wanting a partner to show investment, to stop adversarial behaviour, to communicate more and to give affection, while making an apology ranked the least important.

Keith Sanford, Associate Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Baylor University explained: "We definitely respond to whether we gain or lose status.

"When we feel criticized, we are likely to have underlying concerns about a perceived threat to status, and when that happens, we usually want a partner simply to disengage and back off.

"The things couples want from each other during conflicts will depend on their underlying concerns, and to resolve conflicts, they may need to use different tactics to address different underlying concern."

(JP/CD)

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"A new study has suggested that modern relationships are based on a power struggle."