Robert Körner
Biographic Data
| ID | 189056 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Robert Körner |
| GIVEN NAMES | Robert |
| FAMILY NAME | Körner |
| SIGNATURE | KÖRNER R |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Bamberg |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-8793-0830 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 21 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 24 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 21 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2021 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
Bias in Perceptions of Power in Close Relationships
People who perceive they lack power inhibit their needs and goals, sometimes aggress to restore power, and experience poorer well-being. However, people may underestimate how much power they have to meet their needs. Guided by error management principles, we tested whether people systematically underestimate their power in relationships. Across four samples of friendships, same-gender couples, and woman–man couples ( N = 1,304 dyads), we used Tru…
The Relational Nature of Attachment and Power
Power emerges from the relational dynamics between two people, but it is often studied as a feature of the individual. The current studies apply a dyadic perspective to show that core relational beliefs not only shape actors’ relationship power but also generate behaviors that constrain their partner’s power. Across five studies with Israeli, German, and New Zealand couples (total 1,256 dyads), greater attachment avoidance and anxiety were associ…
Breaking the Script
Sexual assertiveness—the tendency to take initiative and act independently regarding one’s own sexual desires and behavior—is shaped by gendered expectations that portray men as sexually assertive and women as submissive (i.e., traditional sexual script). Using dyadic data from 383 German couples, including heterosexual and LGBTQ partnerships, we tested competing explanations for sexual assertiveness: gender, heteronormativity, or experienced pow…
How Happy Are You With Your Relationship? Validation of the German Couple Satisfaction Index‐4
Assessing relationship satisfaction—as an outcome, predictor, or control variable—is almost mandatory in studies on romantic relationships. This research was aimed at testing the psychometric properties of the German version of the Couple Satisfaction Index‐4 (GCSI‐4) by obtaining validity evidence based on internal structure, measurement invariance, and relationships with other variables. Data from five samples ( N total = 1526), including indiv…
Power and Sexuality
Power, one's perceived ability to influence others, is likely fundamental to the sexual aspects of couples' lives. However, relatively little is known about how different forms of power in romantic relationships relate to sexuality. This is partly because prior research has not clearly distinguished between actor versus partner power, and between experienced (actor) versus desired power. Building on recent theoretical developments that emphasize …
Power Balance and Relationship Quality
Power balance, that is, equal levels of potential influence between relationship partners, has been linked to relationship happiness. This study examined whether power balance is indeed positively related to relationship quality (RQ) for both couple members using dyadic response surface analysis (total N = 879 couples). In Studies 1 to 3, we found linear but no similarity effects of power on RQ. Experiencing power was positively related to both a…
Structuring hierarchy concepts
Low Power and High Psychopathy
Power and aggression are core relational variables that share a fickle relationship. It is unclear whether high or low power relates to psychological aggression and under which circumstances. We tested psychopathy as a potential moderator in the power‐aggression link because psychopathy is characterized by a lack of empathy and shallow emotional response. Psychopathy could strengthen the link between high power and psychological aggression becaus…
Power in friendships
Power, defined as an individual's perceived capability to influence others, is typically studied in work or romantic relationships, leaving it unclear whether findings can be generalized to other types of relationships, such as friendship. In this study, we applied a dyadic perspective to examine how power shapes relationship functioning between friends. We used an actor-partner interdependence framework with 248 friendship dyads to analyze four …
Is caring for oneself relevant to happy relationship functioning? Exploring associations between self‐compassion and romantic relationship satisfaction in actors and partners
Self‐compassion means being supportive and kind to oneself when experiencing failure or inadequacies. It is associated with adaptive intrapersonal and relational outcomes for individuals. This evidence was extended by using an Actor‐Partner Interdependence framework. Other‐sex couples ( N = 209) completed measures of self‐compassion, relationship‐specific self‐compassion, and relationship satisfaction. Both self‐compassion measures were related t…
Dominance and prestige in romantic relationships
Dominance and prestige reflect different forms of power and can affect relationship outcomes. Whereas dominance is a conflict-oriented way of dealing with people and grabbing status, prestige is derived from respect and esteem that is granted by others due to superior skills and knowledge. In this research, we tested three partially competing perspectives on potential associations of dominance and prestige with relationship quality (RQ). Sociobio…
Dominance and Prestige as Self-Concept Facets
Two basic strategies can be applied to navigate hierarchies: (a) dominance, which involves the induction of fear, intimidation, or coercion to obtain status, or (b) prestige, which involves using one’s skills, knowledge, or expertise to pursue status. In the present research, we refined the original dominance and prestige account and the respective self-report scale and conceptualized and assessed both variables as stable self-concept facets. By …
Power, Self-Esteem, and Body Image
We expected power – the perceived capacity to influence others – to be an antecedent of positive body image because power is closely linked to self-esteem, which in turn is linked to body image. In a cross-sectional study ( N = 318), sense of power was positively related to body appreciation and satisfaction with one’s appearance. Self-esteem partially mediated this effect. In an experimental study ( N = 114), participants assigned to a high-powe…
Personality is related to satisfaction in friendship dyads, but similarity is not
Poses and Postures as Status Displays
Commentary on Elkjær et al.’s (2020) Meta-Analysis on Expansive Versus Contractive Nonverbal Displays
We offer a critical perspective on the meta-analysis by Elkjær et al. (2020) by pointing out three constraints: The first refers to open-science practices, the second addresses the selection of studies, and the third offers a broader theoretical perspective. We argue that preregistration and adherence to the highest standards of conducting meta-analyses is important. Further, we identified several missing studies. Regarding the theoretical perspe…
Revisiting the Power to Forgive
Power pervades interpersonal relationships and can impact relationship-related outcomes (e.g., forgiveness). Here, we expected a positive association between power and forgiveness in two studies involving German and Israeli couples ( N = 149/174 couples). Actor–partner interdependence mediator models showed the expected positive associations of actor’s power with both actor’s forgiveness and partner’s forgiveness. Independent self-esteem partiall…
How the Linguistic Styles of Donald Trump and Joe Biden Reflect Different Forms of Power
Can theories of power be used to explain differences in the linguistic styles of Donald Trump and Joe Biden? We argue that the two candidates possess and use different forms of power—and that this is associated with typical language patterns. Based on their personal history, news reports, and empirical studies, we expect that Trump’s approach to power is characterized by coercive power forms and Biden’s by collaborative power forms. Using several…
Dominance and prestige
How secure and preoccupied attachment relate to offence-specific forgiveness in couples
Power in romantic relationships
Power dynamics have been described as being constitutive of romantic relationships and can impact outcomes such as relationship quality. Yet, in relationships nowadays, power may be less important than in the past due to changes in gender roles and society's expectations. We analyzed four power characteristics and their effects on a multidimensional measure of relationship quality using an actor-partner interdependence model framework with 181 he…
Power in romantic relationships
Power dynamics have been described as being constitutive of romantic relationships and can impact outcomes such as relationship quality. Yet, in relationships nowadays, power may be less important than in the past due to changes in gender roles and society's expectations. We analyzed four power characteristics and their effects on a multidimensional measure of relationship quality using an actor-partner interdependence model framework with 181 he…
Dominance and prestige in romantic relationships
Dominance and prestige reflect different forms of power and can affect relationship outcomes. Whereas dominance is a conflict-oriented way of dealing with people and grabbing status, prestige is derived from respect and esteem that is granted by others due to superior skills and knowledge. In this research, we tested three partially competing perspectives on potential associations of dominance and prestige with relationship quality (RQ). Sociobio…
Power in friendships
Power, defined as an individual's perceived capability to influence others, is typically studied in work or romantic relationships, leaving it unclear whether findings can be generalized to other types of relationships, such as friendship. In this study, we applied a dyadic perspective to examine how power shapes relationship functioning between friends. We used an actor-partner interdependence framework with 248 friendship dyads to analyze four …
Power in romantic relationships
Power dynamics have been described as being constitutive of romantic relationships and can impact outcomes such as relationship quality. Yet, in relationships nowadays, power may be less important than in the past due to changes in gender roles and society's expectations. We analyzed four power characteristics and their effects on a multidimensional measure of relationship quality using an actor-partner interdependence model framework with 181 he…
Poses and Postures as Status Displays
Commentary on Elkjær et al.’s (2020) Meta-Analysis on Expansive Versus Contractive Nonverbal Displays
We offer a critical perspective on the meta-analysis by Elkjær et al. (2020) by pointing out three constraints: The first refers to open-science practices, the second addresses the selection of studies, and the third offers a broader theoretical perspective. We argue that preregistration and adherence to the highest standards of conducting meta-analyses is important. Further, we identified several missing studies. Regarding the theoretical perspe…
Revisiting the Power to Forgive
Power pervades interpersonal relationships and can impact relationship-related outcomes (e.g., forgiveness). Here, we expected a positive association between power and forgiveness in two studies involving German and Israeli couples ( N = 149/174 couples). Actor–partner interdependence mediator models showed the expected positive associations of actor’s power with both actor’s forgiveness and partner’s forgiveness. Independent self-esteem partiall…
How the Linguistic Styles of Donald Trump and Joe Biden Reflect Different Forms of Power
Can theories of power be used to explain differences in the linguistic styles of Donald Trump and Joe Biden? We argue that the two candidates possess and use different forms of power—and that this is associated with typical language patterns. Based on their personal history, news reports, and empirical studies, we expect that Trump’s approach to power is characterized by coercive power forms and Biden’s by collaborative power forms. Using several…
Dominance and prestige
How secure and preoccupied attachment relate to offence-specific forgiveness in couples
Dominance and Prestige as Self-Concept Facets
Two basic strategies can be applied to navigate hierarchies: (a) dominance, which involves the induction of fear, intimidation, or coercion to obtain status, or (b) prestige, which involves using one’s skills, knowledge, or expertise to pursue status. In the present research, we refined the original dominance and prestige account and the respective self-report scale and conceptualized and assessed both variables as stable self-concept facets. By …
Power, Self-Esteem, and Body Image
We expected power – the perceived capacity to influence others – to be an antecedent of positive body image because power is closely linked to self-esteem, which in turn is linked to body image. In a cross-sectional study ( N = 318), sense of power was positively related to body appreciation and satisfaction with one’s appearance. Self-esteem partially mediated this effect. In an experimental study ( N = 114), participants assigned to a high-powe…
Personality is related to satisfaction in friendship dyads, but similarity is not
Is caring for oneself relevant to happy relationship functioning? Exploring associations between self‐compassion and romantic relationship satisfaction in actors and partners
Self‐compassion means being supportive and kind to oneself when experiencing failure or inadequacies. It is associated with adaptive intrapersonal and relational outcomes for individuals. This evidence was extended by using an Actor‐Partner Interdependence framework. Other‐sex couples ( N = 209) completed measures of self‐compassion, relationship‐specific self‐compassion, and relationship satisfaction. Both self‐compassion measures were related t…
Dominance and prestige in romantic relationships
Dominance and prestige reflect different forms of power and can affect relationship outcomes. Whereas dominance is a conflict-oriented way of dealing with people and grabbing status, prestige is derived from respect and esteem that is granted by others due to superior skills and knowledge. In this research, we tested three partially competing perspectives on potential associations of dominance and prestige with relationship quality (RQ). Sociobio…
Power Balance and Relationship Quality
Power balance, that is, equal levels of potential influence between relationship partners, has been linked to relationship happiness. This study examined whether power balance is indeed positively related to relationship quality (RQ) for both couple members using dyadic response surface analysis (total N = 879 couples). In Studies 1 to 3, we found linear but no similarity effects of power on RQ. Experiencing power was positively related to both a…
Structuring hierarchy concepts
Low Power and High Psychopathy
Power and aggression are core relational variables that share a fickle relationship. It is unclear whether high or low power relates to psychological aggression and under which circumstances. We tested psychopathy as a potential moderator in the power‐aggression link because psychopathy is characterized by a lack of empathy and shallow emotional response. Psychopathy could strengthen the link between high power and psychological aggression becaus…
Power in friendships
Power, defined as an individual's perceived capability to influence others, is typically studied in work or romantic relationships, leaving it unclear whether findings can be generalized to other types of relationships, such as friendship. In this study, we applied a dyadic perspective to examine how power shapes relationship functioning between friends. We used an actor-partner interdependence framework with 248 friendship dyads to analyze four …
Bias in Perceptions of Power in Close Relationships
People who perceive they lack power inhibit their needs and goals, sometimes aggress to restore power, and experience poorer well-being. However, people may underestimate how much power they have to meet their needs. Guided by error management principles, we tested whether people systematically underestimate their power in relationships. Across four samples of friendships, same-gender couples, and woman–man couples ( N = 1,304 dyads), we used Tru…
The Relational Nature of Attachment and Power
Power emerges from the relational dynamics between two people, but it is often studied as a feature of the individual. The current studies apply a dyadic perspective to show that core relational beliefs not only shape actors’ relationship power but also generate behaviors that constrain their partner’s power. Across five studies with Israeli, German, and New Zealand couples (total 1,256 dyads), greater attachment avoidance and anxiety were associ…
Breaking the Script
Sexual assertiveness—the tendency to take initiative and act independently regarding one’s own sexual desires and behavior—is shaped by gendered expectations that portray men as sexually assertive and women as submissive (i.e., traditional sexual script). Using dyadic data from 383 German couples, including heterosexual and LGBTQ partnerships, we tested competing explanations for sexual assertiveness: gender, heteronormativity, or experienced pow…
How Happy Are You With Your Relationship? Validation of the German Couple Satisfaction Index‐4
Assessing relationship satisfaction—as an outcome, predictor, or control variable—is almost mandatory in studies on romantic relationships. This research was aimed at testing the psychometric properties of the German version of the Couple Satisfaction Index‐4 (GCSI‐4) by obtaining validity evidence based on internal structure, measurement invariance, and relationships with other variables. Data from five samples ( N total = 1526), including indiv…
Power and Sexuality
Power, one's perceived ability to influence others, is likely fundamental to the sexual aspects of couples' lives. However, relatively little is known about how different forms of power in romantic relationships relate to sexuality. This is partly because prior research has not clearly distinguished between actor versus partner power, and between experienced (actor) versus desired power. Building on recent theoretical developments that emphasize …
Psychology (15 works) · Social Psychology (14 works) · Attachment and Relationship Dynamics (13 works) · Developmental psychology (9 works) · Social and Intergroup Psychology (7 works) · Cultural Differences and Values (6 works) · Social Psychology (6 works) · Power (physics (5 works) · Romance (5 works) · Interpersonal communication (4 works)