When it comes to famous things, you might think of Bill Clinton’s tryst with Monica Lewinsky.
The former US president made headlines in 1995 after his sexual relationship with then 22-year-old White House intern Monica Lewinsky came to light.
Research now suggests that Clinton’s powerful position as US president may have influenced his affair.
A new study shows that the risk of infidelity is ‘significantly higher’ among more powerful people.
This includes not only politicians like Bill Clinton, but also CEOs like Bill Gates and celebrities like Kris Jenner.
People who feel more powerful are less dependent on others, have a higher opinion of themselves and are more confident that others find them desirable, according to researchers at Reichman University.
“In a romantic relationship, this power dynamic can lead the more powerful partner to believe he has more to offer than his less powerful partner,” said Professor Gurit Birnbaum, lead author of the study.
“The powerful may see this as a sign that they have more options outside the relationship and that they are generally more desirable partners.”
Perceptions of power significantly predict a person’s interest in other partners. In the photo: former US President Bill Clinton, who famously had an affair with Monica Lewinsky
A new study shows that the risk of infidelity is ‘significantly higher’ among more powerful people. Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates had an affair with a Russian bridge player
Previous studies have shown that power can make people feel more confident and entitled, and increase the likelihood that they will act impulsively.
However, until now, little research has been done on the influence of power on the likelihood of infidelity.
In their new study, the researchers conducted four experiments with participants who had been in a monogamous, heterosexual relationship for at least four months.
In the first and second experiments, participants were asked to describe a time when they felt powerful in relationship to their current partner, or a typical day in their relationship.
Then they wrote a sexual fantasy about someone other than their partner, or looked at photos of strangers and decided which ones they might consider having an affair with.
In the third experiment, participants described the power dynamics in their romantic relationship.
They then completed a task with an attractive person (an insider to the study), before rating their sexual desire for them.
Finally, in the fourth experiment, both partners in a relationship reported every day for three weeks about their perceived relationship strength, their perceived value as a partner, and any sexual activities (including sexual fantasies, flirting, or having sex) with someone else. than their partner.
Kris Jenner is widely considered one of the most powerful people in the show business world. Research suggests this power could explain why Jenner famously cheated on Robert Kardashian Senior in the late 1980s.
The results showed that, in all four experiments, perceived power significantly predicted a person’s interest in other partners.
This included sexual fantasies, desires, and real-life interactions.
“Those with a higher sense of power may feel motivated to ignore their commitment to the relationship and act on desires for short-term relationships or potentially other, more novel partners when the opportunity presents itself,” says Professor Harry Reis, co-author of the book. standard.
The study also found that participants who said they felt more powerful in their relationship rated themselves higher than their partner.
According to the researchers, this could become ‘destructive’.
“If people feel empowered and believe they have more relationship options than their current partner, they may be more inclined to pay attention to other potentially promising alternatives,” Professor Reis added.
“The belief in having other options, such as other possible partners, can weaken their commitment to their current relationship.”