Being a CEO, politician, or celebrity doesn’t automatically make someone unfaithful. But power does seem to raise the odds, according to a study from the University of Rochester.

Researchers ran a series of experiments to see how power affects loyalty in relationships. Their results show that feeling powerful changes how people see themselves and their partners, which can make them less faithful.

Distorting the balance

Why? Earlier studies have shown that power boosts confidence and a sense of entitlement, often making people act more impulsively. Powerful people are also better at resisting others’ influence and pushing their own agenda. This study zooms in on romantic relationships and finds that powerful people feel less dependent on their partners, think more highly of themselves, and believe others find them desirable.

“In a relationship, power can make someone believe they bring more to the table than their partner,” the researchers explain. This belief can lead them to think they have better options outside the relationship, making them more tempted to stray.

The researchers ran four experiments to test these ideas, using people in monogamous, heterosexual relationships of at least four months.

Power shift

In one experiment, participants recalled a time they felt powerful in their relationship or described a typical day with their partner. Then, they wrote a sexual fantasy about someone other than their partner. In another, participants looked at photos of strangers and decided under time pressure which ones they might consider as potential partners.

In a third study, participants rated the power dynamics in their relationship and compared their value as a partner to their partner’s. They then worked with an attractive person, secretly part of the study, and rated their attraction to them.

Finally, in a three-week study, both partners in a relationship reported daily on how powerful they felt, how they rated themselves and their partner, and any sexual activities—like fantasies, flirting, or actual encounters with someone else.

Looking elsewhere

Across all four studies, the pattern was clear: people who saw themselves as more powerful in their relationship were more interested in others as potential partners. They fantasized more about others, flirted more, and were more likely to think they had better options outside the relationship.

The researchers say power can weaken commitment by making people believe they have other choices. When someone thinks they’re more desirable than their partner, they might feel less tied to the relationship and more willing to explore alternatives.

Feeling powerful might seem like an advantage, but in relationships, it can create an imbalance that drives people apart. For the powerful, staying faithful isn’t just about resisting temptation—it’s about seeing the value of what they already have.