A Closer Look at Relationship Structures: Relationship Satisfaction and Attachment Among People Who Practice Hierarchical and Non-Hierarchical Polyamory

• Published in: Archives of sexual behavior Vol. 50; no. 4; pp. 1401 - 1417
• Main Authors: Flicker, Sharon M., Sancier-Barbosa, Flavia, Moors, Amy C., Browne, Lindsay
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.05.2021; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Attachment; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Couples; Intimacy; Monogamy; Personal relationships; Polygamy; Psychology; Public Health; Sexual Behavior; Social Sciences; Special Section: Consensual Nonmonogamy; Consensual non-monogamy; Hierarchy; Relationship anarchy; Attachment; Polyamory; Relationship quality
• ISSN: 0004-0002; 1573-2800
• DOI: 10.1007/s10508-020-01875-9

Although polyamorous relationships have received increasing attention from researchers over the past decade, little attention has been paid to differences in relationship configurations: some individuals arrange their relationships hierarchically, prioritizing a primary partner; other relationship structures are non-hierarchical with no relationships prioritized over others. Across two samples ( N Study1 = 225; N Study2 = 360), we compared relationship satisfaction and attachment security between individuals in hierarchical and non-hierarchical configurations. Greater variability in attachment security was found between partners in hierarchical relationships than those in non-hierarchical relationships; no significant differences were found in variability in relationships satisfaction across these groups. Furthermore, individuals in hierarchical relationships reported lower overall relationship satisfaction and attachment security compared to individuals in non-hierarchical relationships. More specifically, although no significant differences were found between non-hierarchical and primary partners, participants reported lower relationship satisfaction and attachment security with secondary and tertiary partners compared to non-hierarchical and primary partners. Findings suggest that these differences may attenuate with time. Although previous research has found that differences (e.g., in investment) between partners exist in both non-hierarchical and hierarchical configurations, the current research suggests that differences that occur organically rather than in a predetermined manner may be related to greater similarities in attachment security across partners as well as greater overall levels of relationship satisfaction and attachment security for individuals in non-hierarchical configurations. More research is needed to determine whether the observed between-partner differences are consistent with the relationship goals of individuals in hierarchical relationships.