CODEPENDENCY, LOSS OF SELF, AND POWER

The feminist critique that codependency and loss of self are related t o power was tested in a sample of 122 college women and men in committ ed relationships. Participants completed two codependency measures, a loss of self scale, acid three indices of power: perceived power, use of specific influence strategies, and decision making. Among both wome n and men, codependency and loss of self were positively related to th e use of indirect strategies and negatively related to perceived power , and loss of self was negatively related to use of the direct strateg ies. Among women alone, codependency was also negatively related to us e of direct strategies and loss of self negatively related to decision making. These correlational data provide support for a feminist criti que of codependency as related to power; however, gender similarities suggest that the relations between power, loss of self, and codependen cy hold for college men as well as college women.