The sense of entitlement in romantic relationships—Scale construction, factor structure, construct validity, and its associations with attachment orientations.

Abstract

Based on clinical evidence and theoretical writings that pointed to the importance and uniqueness of the sense of entitlement in couple relationships, two studies were designed to develop and validate the Sense of Relational Entitlement (SRE) scale. A factor analysis performed on the scale's items yielded five factors that identified three basic entitlement-related attitudes toward a romantic partner. Findings indicated that both exaggerated and restricted forms of relational entitlement seem to be maladaptive and put people at risk for emotional problems. Findings also indicated that excessive and restricted forms of relational entitlement were significantly associated with attachment insecurities. In addition, the SRE scale was found to tap a unique psychological construct that moderately overlapped with constructs of narcissism and global entitlement. The discussion focuses on the developmental and psychodynamic sources of the sense of relational entitlement.

Measurement of Psychological Entitlement in 28 Countries

“…Entitlement Attitude Scale; Nadkarni, 1994), mostly in clinical contexts or within narrowly specified fields (e.g. Sense of Relational Entitlement Scale; Tolmacz & Mikulincer, 2011; Exploitive and Non-Exploitive Entitlement Scale; Lessard et al, 2011). To the best of our knowledge, there are no existing methods of examining entitlement from a social and adaptive personality psychology perspective that have been validated internationally.…”

Testing the concept of relational entitlement in the dyadic context: Further validation and associations with relationship satisfaction.

“…Tolmacz and Mikulincer (2011) have stressed that entitlement plays an especially important role in a couple's relationship. From the perspective of personality psychology and according to Bowlby's attachment theory (Bowlby, 1979), perceptions and memories of the type or quality of care that individuals received from early attachment figures shape the way they respond to tiieir attachment figures in adulthood.…”

“…Rather, one's sense of relational entitlement may be comprised of botii assertive and conflicted aspects concurrently. Tolmacz and Mikulincer (2011) claimed that relational entitlement is a personality construct deriving from early relationships with primal attachment figures. Indeed, the authors reported on significant associations among attachment avoidance and anxiety orientations on the one hand and items representing excessive and restricted entitlement (that we later labeled "conflicted entitlement") on the other hand.…”

“…Though one's sense of entitlement might be relevant in many areas of human existence, there is growing evidence attesting to the crucial role it plays in determining the quality of couples' relationships (Campbell, Bonacci, Shelton, Exline, & Bushman, 2004). This kind of relational entitlement is conceptualized as the extent to which an individual feels that his or her wishes, needs, and expectations should be fulfilled by a romantic partner (Tolmacz & Mikulincer, 2011). Tolmacz and Mikulincer (2011) recently developed the Sense of Relational Entitlement Scale (SRE) and showed its associations with relationship satisfaction in a sample of young adults, most of whom were single.…”

“…This kind of relational entitlement is conceptualized as the extent to which an individual feels that his or her wishes, needs, and expectations should be fulfilled by a romantic partner (Tolmacz & Mikulincer, 2011). Tolmacz and Mikulincer (2011) recently developed the Sense of Relational Entitlement Scale (SRE) and showed its associations with relationship satisfaction in a sample of young adults, most of whom were single. Pursuant to Tolmacz and Mikulincer's own recommendation to further validate the SRE along an individual's entire life span, in the current study we assessed the SRE scale among middle-aged partners in long-term dyadic relationships.…”