Date of Award

5-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Department

Social Sciences

First Advisor

Morrison, Patricia

Area of Concentration

Psychology

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between conservative political ideology and key aspects of romantic relationships, including gender role attitudes, expressions of intimacy and affection, communication styles, and partner preferences. Based on prior research suggesting that conservatism is associated with traditional social values and relationship behaviors, four hypotheses were proposed predicting significant associations between political conservatism and these variables. A sample of 334 adults in the United States completed an online survey consisting of the Attitudes Toward Women Scale, Index of Sexual Satisfaction, Affectionate Communication Index, Communications Patterns Questionnaire, and the Ideal Partner and Ideal Relationship Scale. ANOVA analyses were conducted to assess relationships between political ideology and each relational outcome. Results indicated that political conservatism was not significantly associated with any of the variables. Additional analysis was conducted and revealed that demographic factors, particularly race, were associated with certain relationship outcomes. Specifically, significant differences were observed in sexual satisfaction, affection, and communication patterns across racial groups, highlighting that cultural or social influences may play a role in shaping relationship experiences. Age was also found to impact political party identification. These findings suggest that political ideology may not be a strong predictor of romantic relationship dynamics, despite prior literature linking conservatism to broader social attitudes. Overall, the results emphasize the complexity of intimate relationships and suggest that factors beyond political ideology may play a more significant role in shaping relational behaviors.

Rights

The author has granted New College of Florida the nonexclusive right to archive, make accessible, and distribute for educational purposes this work in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. The copyright of this work remains with the author.

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