Sexual Relationship Power Scale

Abstract

The Sexual Relationship Power Scale (SRPS) is a 23-item psychometric instrument developed in 2000 by Pulerwitz, Gortmaker, and DeJong. Its primary function is to quantify the degree of perceived power imbalance within intimate sexual relationships, typically focusing on the female partner’s ability to exert control and influence. The SRPS is highly relevant in HIV/STD research and reproductive health studies, as relationship dynamics significantly impact sexual health behaviors, particularly matters of condom use negotiation. The instrument is structurally divided into two primary factors—Relationship Control and Decision-Making Dominance—and serves as a critical tool for identifying individuals vulnerable to unsafe sexual practices or intimate partner violence due to low perceived relationship power.

Keywords

Relationship Power, Psychometric Scale, Sexual Health, Intimate Partner Violence, Condom Negotiation, Relationship Control, Decision-Making Dominance, SRPS, Gender Inequality, Coercive Control.

Authors

Julie Pulerwitz, Steven L. Gortmaker, William DeJong

Purpose

The fundamental purpose of the Sexual Relationship Power Scale is to provide a standardized, quantitative measure of perceived power disparity within an intimate partnership. This measurement is vital for research aimed at understanding and mitigating health risk behaviors, particularly concerning the prevention of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV.

By assessing a woman’s perceived influence over critical relationship and sexual decisions, the SRPS functions as an indicator of personal autonomy and vulnerability. The scale specifically evaluates the extent to which one partner’s dominance or control limits the other partner’s ability to negotiate safe sex practices or influence resource allocation. Its original application highlighted the crucial link between gender inequality, relationship dynamics, and adverse public health outcomes, making it a key instrument for identifying potential coercion victims.

Construct

The central psychological construct measured by the SRPS is Relationship Power. This construct is conceptualized as an individual’s relative capacity to influence shared decisions and determine outcomes within an intimate context. The scale operationalizes this broad construct through two specific, empirically derived dimensions: Coercive Control (captured by the Relationship Control factor) and Behavioral Influence (captured by the Decision-Making Dominance factor).

Relationship power is viewed dynamically, not as a static personality trait, but as a relational variable that directly impacts communication, negotiation, and subsequent health-seeking behaviors. A lower score on the SRPS signifies reduced power, which is empirically linked to diminished self-efficacy and increased vulnerability to violence and unsafe sexual practices.

Validity

The initial validation studies conducted by Pulerwitz and colleagues established strong evidence for the construct validity of the Sexual Relationship Power Scale. This was supported by significant and theoretically consistent correlations observed between the SRPS scores and related psychological measures, such as self-efficacy regarding condom negotiation and established metrics of intimate partner violence.

The empirical confirmation of the scale’s hypothesized two-factor structure (Control and Dominance) further validated that the instrument successfully captured the distinct, yet interdependent, dimensions of power exertion within a relationship. Moreover, the SRPS demonstrated strong predictive validity, showing an inverse correlation with risky sexual behaviors and a positive correlation with the reported ability of women to influence the nature and safety of sexual encounters, reinforcing its essential utility in public health and HIV prevention research.

Reliability

The SRPS consistently demonstrates high levels of internal consistency, a key indicator of reliability. Across multiple administrations and populations, the overall composite scale typically yields Cronbach’s alpha coefficients well above the commonly accepted threshold of .80.

Furthermore, the two distinct subscales—Relationship Control and Decision-Making Dominance—also maintain good to excellent reliability independently. This consistent reliability confirms that the items within each factor are coherently measuring a unified aspect of the overarching construct of relationship power, ensuring stable and repeatable measurements across diverse research settings.

Factor Analysis

Consistent application of factor analysis to the SRPS data reveals a robust and reliable two-factor structure. These two factors statistically account for the majority of the variance observed in relationship power dynamics, providing a necessary nuance for assessing how power is exerted within the partnership:

• Relationship Control Factor (Items 1–15): This dimension primarily assesses emotional and behavioral coercion, intimidation, possessiveness, and threats related to controlling a partner’s autonomy. These items often focus on potential negative partner reactions (e.g., anger or violence) when the respondent requests safer sex practices or exercises independence.
• Decision-Making Dominance Factor (Items 16–23): This dimension measures the perceived authority or influence one partner has over shared relationship decisions. These decisions encompass social planning, handling serious discussions, resource allocation, and crucial sexual choices, such as the frequency of sex or condom negotiation.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report questionnaire / Psychometric scale

Format: 23 items utilizing Likert-type response scales. Items 1-15 use a 4-point agreement scale (Strongly Agree to Strongly Disagree). Items 16-23 use a 3-point dominance scale (Your Partner, Both of You Equally, and You).

Language Available: English (Original), translated versions exist for use in various international health studies.

Population Group: Individuals in intimate heterosexual relationships, typically women reporting on their male partners.

Age Group: Adults (typically 18 years and older).

Population Details: Originally validated among young adult women in the United States; frequently adapted for high-risk populations globally in HIV/STD research settings.

Test Methodology: Administration is typically conducted via paper-and-pencil or computerized self-administration to maximize privacy and minimize social desirability bias, which is critical due to the sensitive nature of the items concerning control and potential violence. Scoring involves summing or averaging item responses within each subscale; items are often reverse-coded so that higher overall scores reflect greater relationship power for the respondent.

Keywords

Power Dynamics, Gender Inequality, Sexual Behavior, Coercive Control, Relationship Assessment, Psychometrics, STIs, Public Health.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: N/A

Affiliation Email addresses: N/A

Correspondence Address: Correspondence details available via the lead author’s institutional affiliation (Harvard School of Public Health at the time of publication).

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The Sexual Relationship Power Scale was first published and validated in 2000. It is generally regarded as an open-access instrument suitable for academic and non-commercial research purposes, although researchers must always consult the original publication for specific usage guidelines. The instrument is included in a publicly available compendium of measures designed for assessing dimensions of violence against women. The original PDF detailing the instrument and related measures can be downloaded here: http://www.svri.org/measures.pdf

Reference’s

Pulerwitz, J., Gortmaker, S., & DeJong, W. (2000). Measuring Sexual Relationship Power in HIV/STD Research. Sex Roles, 42(7), 637-660.

Items of the Sexual Relationship Power Scale

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

Relationship Control Factor/Subscale

1. If I asked my partner to use a condom, he would get violent.**
2. If I asked my partner to use a condom, he would get angry.**
3. Most of the time, we do what my partner wants to do.
4. My partner won’t let me wear certain things.
5. When my partner and I are together, I’m pretty quiet.
6. My partner has more say than I do about important decisions that affect us.
7. My partner tells me who I can spend time with.
8. If I asked my partner to use a condom, he would think I’m ha‎ving sex with other people.**
9. I feel trapped or stuck in our relationship.
10. My partner does what he wants, even if I do not want him to.
11. I am more committed to our relationship than my partner is.
12. When my partner and I disagree, he gets his way most of the time.
13. My partner gets more out of our relationship than I do.
14. My partner always wants to know where I am.
15. My partner might be ha‎ving sex with someone else.

Decision-Making Dominance Factor/Subscale

16. Who usually has more say about whose friends to go out with?
17. Who usually has more say about whether you have sex?
18. Who usually has more say about what you do together?
19. Who usually has more say about how often you see one another?
20. Who usually has more say about when you talk about serious things?
21. In general, who do you think has more power in your relationship?
22. Who usually has more say about whether you use condoms?**
23. Who usually has more say about what types of sexual acts you do?

Items marked ** concern condom use and can be eliminated if this is not a focus. (See Pulerwitz et al. (2000) for more detail regarding scoring etc.)

Scoring Key:

For items 1 to 15:

1 = Strongly Agree, 2= Agree, 3= Disagree, and 4= Strongly Disagree.

For items 16 to 23:

1=Your Partner, 2= Both of You Equally, and 3= You