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Mar 13, 2008 12:08 pm US/Mountain
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Power May Keep Wives Next To Their Shamed Husbands
Good Question: Why Do Women Stand By Their Man?
DENVER (CBS4) ―
A psychologist believes the lure of power may be one of the reasons wives, like Silda Spitzer, stand by their political husbands, even in time of shame and embarrassment.
"They want to hold onto that position in order to fulfill whatever agenda they may have too," said Dr. Bob Vitaletti, a psychologist. "Now that agenda may be something as simple as maintaining their family or maintaining their lifestyle, which you can imagine with a very powerful, successful man can be a very important thing."
Silda and Eliot Spitzer have three children.
Vitaletti said the powerful men in shame may be pleading with their wives to stay.
"In addition, these are very charismatic men and I think they are very charismatic for their wives too and so that attraction is extremely strong," he said.
Vitaletti adds that even in shame, there's a draw for the wives who want to maintain their position in society.
"Well, some of the public position I think obviously falls away and there's even a great deal of shame I think that follows," he said. "But on the other hand, I think there's also a lot of loyalty that follows."
Vitaletti also said studies show people in a position of power, men and women, are more sexually active.
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