Political influence in couples: changes in one partner affect the vote of the other. How political alliances are born in the family
A new longitudinal study, published in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin and signed by researchers Sam Fluit, Nickola C. Overall, Danny Osborne, Matthew D. Hammond and Chris G. Sibley, shows that romantic partners influence each other's support for political parties over time. According to the analysis, a change in one partner's support for a particular party predicts a similar change in the other partner's support in the following year: a process that can contribute to political alignment within couples and, implicitly, to broader social polarization.
Photo source: shutterstock
Similarities attract us: shared values as the basis of the relationship
People tend to choose partners with similar values, beliefs and orientations. Worldview compatibility: what justice, freedom, equity, or authority means, provides a foundation of emotional stability and a sense of “to be on the same wavelength”. This compatibility is not an accident, but a deep psychological mechanism: we feel safer with those who share our moral and social benchmarks.
In a context where voting increasingly expresses identity and belonging, not just a rational choice, this compatibility becomes an element of intimacy. When partners share a common worldview, not only the relationship is strengthened, but also the sense of shared meaning: “we” see the world the same way and want the same future.
The New Zealand research looked at more than 1,600 heterosexual couples who participated for up to ten consecutive years in the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study, a large-scale project that looks at the relationship between values, attitudes and social behaviour. Participants rated their level of support for six political parties annually on a scale from one (“strongly opposed”) to seven (“strongly support”).
Using a sophisticated statistical model to analyze longitudinal data, the researchers separated stable trends in each person's political support from smaller annual variations. Thus, they could precisely test whether a fluctuation in one year's support for one partner for a particular party could predict a similar fluctuation in the other partner the following year.
The results showed a consistent pattern of mutual influence. For all six parties analyzed, a temporary increase in support for one partner was followed by an increase in support for the other the following year. In other words, the partners are not only politically similar from the beginning of the relationship, but continue to shape each other over time.
Interestingly, the influence was symmetrical: the effect of men on women's political views was as strong as the effect of women on men. The only exception was a libertarian party (Association of Consumers and Taxpayers Party), where the male influence was slightly more pronounced.
According to Gabriela Răileanu, the alignment of values “it is not a static process; it is continuously maintained and adjusted throughout the relationship. This adjustment is achieved through a subtle process, emotional rather than rational. Partners influence each other not only through logical arguments, but through the need for coherence and belonging.”
When one partner changes their position on a social issue, the other tends to gradually adjust their perspective to maintain emotional and relational synchronization. This adaptation, adds the psychologist, “it is not a proof of conformity, but a natural process of affective regulation, which reflects the desire for emotional stability and continuity in the couple.”
Daily dialogue and the influence of those close to you
Research confirms that people discuss their political views primarily with those they trust: their partner, family, close friends. The influence of these circles is much stronger than that of social networks or mass media, because the information transmitted through an emotional bond is processed more openly.
“We change our opinions more easily under the emotional impact of those we love than under logical arguments from strangers.” explains Gabriela Răileanu. In this sense, the life partner often becomes the most influential voice, and political positions become part of the relational dynamic, a subtle way of maintaining balance and connection.
Differences of opinion can generate significant psychological tension. Studies also show that in order to avoid conflict, people tend to adjust their political views to protect relational harmony, often without realizing it. It is, in fact, an emotional regulation strategy, by which we maintain a sense of safety in the relationship even when our beliefs change, according to the psychotherapist.
Love and politics, the same emotional language
Love and politics meet in the space of values and hopes. We choose like-minded partners, and through our common life we shape each other's world view. When we vote, we carry with us not only our own preferences, but also the voices of those we love.
“Who you love can say a lot about the way you see the world and the kind of future you want: both as a couple and as a society.” concludes Gabriela Răileanu.
