NCJ Number
106807
Journal
Violence and Victims Volume: 1 Issue: 4 Dated: (Winter 1986) Pages: 191-303
Date Published
1986
Length
13 pages
Annotation
The purpose of the present study was to determine the effect of sex differences and seriousness of the abuse situation on observers' attributions of responsibility for origin and solution to both partners in a couple.
Abstract
Male and female undergraduate students (N=354) read a vignette about a wife abuse incident. The results supported the victim activation hypothesis, with wives being held more responsible for the solution than for the orgin of the problem. In contrast, husbands were held more responsible for the orgin than for the solution to the problem. Overall, there were sex differences for attributions of responsibility to the husband but not for those to the wife. 26 references and 3 tables. (Author abstract modified)