Building Connection: Attunement and Gender Equality in Heterosexual Relationships

Results of recent studies suggest that the effect of gender on relational attunement may help explain why gender equality contributes to relationship success. This grounded theory analysis of interviews with 35 heterosexual couples identifies three levels of attunement and describes the nature of their link with gender equality. Mutually attuned couples carried equal weight regarding intentionality, continual communication, partnership, mutual understanding, and joint decision making. Thwarted attunement and the unattuned were linked to gendered power imbalances. Implications highlight a need to address the gendered nature of attunement when helping couples build emotional connection.