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Sexual Relationship Power Scale (SRPS)

The Sexual Relationship Power Scale (SRPS) is a 23-item measure of individual perception and experience of power within an intimate relationship, separated into two domains: Relationship Control and Decision-Making Dominance. Different features captured by the relationship power scale include the use of violence, sexual freedom, and decision making about daily activities.

Categories

Geographies Tested: United States of America

Populations Included: Female

Age Range: Adolescents, Adults

Items:

English

Relationship Control

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.

Response Options:
Strongly agree - 1
Agree - 2
Disagree - 3
Strongly disagree - 4

Decision-Making Dominance

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?

Response Options:
Your partner - 1
Both of you equally - 2
You - 3

*The SRPS-M is a modified version of the scale that eliminates items related to condom use (each labeled above by the symbol *). The scoring procedure is the same. This modified scale can be used if predicting condom use.

Spanish

Relationship Control

1. Si yo le pidiera a mi pareja que usara un condo´n, e´l se pondrı´a violento.**
2. Si yo le pidiera a mi pareja que usara un condo´n, e´l se pondrı´a furioso.**
3. La mayor parte del tiempo hacemos lo que mi pareja quiere hacer.
4. Si yo le pidiera a mi pareja que usara un condo´n, el pensarı´a que.
yo estoy teniendo sexo con otras personas.**
5. Cuando mi pareja y yo estamos juntos, yo suelo estar ma´s bien callada.
6. Mi pareja hace lo que e´l quiere, aun si yo no quiero que lo haga.
7. Me siento atrapada o encerrada en nuestra relacio´n.
8. Mi pareja no me deja usar cierto tipo de ropa.
9. Mi pareja tiene ma´s peso que yo en las decisions importantes que nos afectan.
10. Cuando mi pareja y yo estamos en desacuerdo, e´l casi siempre se sale con la suya.
11. Yo estoy ma´s dedicada a la relacio´n que mi pareja.
12. Mi pareja podrı´a estar teniendo sexo con alguien ma´s.
13. Mi pareja me dice con quie´n puedo pasar mi tiempo.
14. En general, mi pareja beneficia ma´s o saca mas de la relacio´n que yo.
15. Mi pareja siempre quiere saber do´nde estoy.

Response Options
Muy de acuerdo - 1
De acuerdo - 2
En descacurdo - 3
Muy en desacuerdo - 4

Decision-Making Dominance

16. Quie´n tiene usualmente mayor peso acerca de con cua´les amigos salir?
17. Quie´n tiene usualmente mayor peso acerca de si tener sexo juntos?
18. Quie´n tiene usualmente mayor peso acerca de que´ hacen ustedes juntos?
19. Quie´n tiene usualmente mayor peso acerca de con que frecuencia se ven?
20. Quie´n tiene usualmente mayor peso acerca de cua´ndo hablar de cosas serias?
21. En general, quie´n cree usted que tiene ma´s poder en su relacio´n?
22. Quie´n tiene usualmente mayor peso acerca de cua´ndo usar condones juntos?**
23. Quie´n tiene usualmente mayor peso acerca de que´ tipo de actos sexuales hacr juntos?

Response Options:
Su pareja - 1 Ambos por igual - 2
Usted - 3

*The SRPS-M is a modified version of the scale that eliminates items related to condom use (each labeled above by the symbol *). The scoring procedure is the same. This modified scale can be used if predicting condom use.

Scoring Procedures

  1. High scores represent high sexual relationship power.
  2. Scores for the Relationship Control and Decision-Making Dominance subscales are calculated separately and then combined into the Sexual Relationship Power Scale.
  3. Mean scores for the subscales are combined (with equal weighting) into an overall score.

For more details on the scoring procedures, please refer to the original paper.

Original Citation

Pulerwitz, J., Gortmaker, S. L., & DeJong, W. (2000). Measuring sexual relationship power in HIV/STD research. Sex roles, 42(7-8), 637-660. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007051506972


Psychometric Score

Ease of Use Score

Scoring breakdown

Formative Research

Qualitative Research

Existing Literature/Theoretical Framework

Field Expert Input

Cognitive Interviews / Pilot Testing

Reliability

Internal

Test-retest

Interrater

Validity

Content

Face

Criterion (gold-standard)

Construct

KEY

Ease of Use

Readability

Scoring Clarity

Length

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