Refining the Assessment of Entitlement in Romantic Relationships: The Sense of Relational Entitlement Scale—Revised (SRE-R)

Abstract

Objective: A subjective sense of entitlement is strongly evoked in the context of romantic relationships. A pathological sense of entitlement results from believing a partner should fulfill all one’s needs and wishes (inflated) or that the expression of genuine needs is illegitimate (restricted). This study aimed to validate a revised, improved version of the Sense of Relational Entitlement scale entitled the Sense of Relational Entitlement scale—Revised (SRE-R). We hypothesized it would have good factor structure and convergent validity, and that attachment dimensions and relationship indices would predict both inflated and restricted subscales.Method: The SRE-R was completed by 854 Israeli adults (8.3% males) aged 31.94 ± 8.02. A subset (n = 629) also completed measures of attachment (ECR-S) and 447 completed measures of relational authenticity, pathological concern, and relational obsessions and compulsions.Results: CFA confirmed two factors, inflated and restricted sense of relational entitlement. Relational obsessive-compulsive symptoms and pathological concern predicted an inflated sense of entitlement, and attachment avoidance, pathological concern, and authenticity in relationships predicted a restricted sense of entitlement.Discussion: The SRE-R is a valid and useful tool to assess sense of entitlement in romantic relationships and should be examined in diverse samples and cultures.

Interparental conflict and relational attitudes within romantic relationships: The mediating role of attachment orientations

“…It seems that exposure to IPC during childhood may impair one’s future capacity to realistically appraise expectations from a romantic partner. Past research has indicated that restricted and inflated forms of entitlement are negatively associated with marital adjustment (Tolmacz & Mikulincer, 2011) and relationship satisfaction (George-Levi et al, 2014; Tolmacz et al, 2021a), and positively associated with divorce rates (Sanchez & Gager, 2000), selfishness, violence, and aggression in romantic relationships (Campbell et al, 2004; Wood, 2004). Our results suggest that IPC may be associated with a proneness to crises in couples’ relationships since it increases risk for an imbalanced sense of relational entitlement.…”

“…In the context of romantic relationships, several studies have found pathological concern to be associated with higher levels of relationship conflict (Feeney & Collins, 2003) and lower levels of authenticity and relationship satisfaction (Tolmacz et al, 2021b, 2021a). The link between pathological concern and low authenticity is corroborated in this study and further linked to childhood IPC.…”

“…Secure attachment orientation seems crucial for the formation of positive relational attitudes that allow for mutuality in romantic relationships, such as entitlement, concern for one's partner, and authenticity (Tolmacz et al, 2021b). The absence of available and responsive primary attachment figures may be a risk factor for the development of these imbalanced relational attitudes (inflated or restricted sense of entitlement, pathological concern, and lack of authenticity), which serve as maladaptive coping strategies that are disruptive in the context of romantic relationships (Tolmacz et al, 2021a).…”

The Link between Parenting Behaviors and Emerging Adults’ Relationship Outcomes: The Mediating Role of Relational Entitlement

“…The scale offers scores for assertive entitlement (seven items), excessive entitlement (eight items), and restricted entitlement (three items). However, due to the lack of evidence regarding the link between assertive entitlement and relational satisfaction [ 28 ], only the excessive (e.g., “When my partner frustrates me, I contemplate ending the relationship”) and the restricted (e.g., “Sometimes I feel I am not good enough for my partner”) dimensions were used. Both scales showed adequate internal consistency.…”

“…In this context, the concept of sense of relational entitlement was developed, referring strictly to those expressions of entitlement appearing in the romantic domain, and it can be defined as the extent to which a person expects that their needs and wishes will be fulfilled by the romantic partner, and as a person’s affective and cognitive responses to a romantic partner’s failure to fulfill these needs and hopes [ 18 ]. Similar to the broader concept of psychological entitlement, relational entitlement can also have two expressions: one excessive (the individual believes that their needs must be fulfilled regardless of the needs or emotional state of their partner) and one restricted (the individual is unassertive, timid, and less self-assured in demanding to have their needs fulfilled) [ 18 , 28 ].…”