NCJ Number
212699
Journal
Journal of Family Violence Volume: 20 Issue: 4 Dated: August 2005 Pages: 241-251
Date Published
August 2005
Length
11 pages
Annotation
Information was gathered using the Actor/Partner Interdependence Model from heterosexual dating couples on gender, histories of abuse in their current relationship, attachment styles, and perception and satisfaction with relationship power.
Abstract
Violence between intimates has been a serious research topic for more than 30 years. The research conducted has focused primarily on the individual as the unit of analysis. However, the Actor/Partner Interdependence Model (APIM) is a new analytic method for analyzing data from dyads or couples. APIM focuses on non-independence. In APIM, both members of the couple provide scores for the independent and dependent variable. Using the APIM, 80 heterosexual dating couples provided information about their gender, individual histories of abuse in their current relationship, attachment styles, and perception of and satisfaction with relationship power. It was hypothesized that low satisfaction with relationship power would be associated with higher aggression towards romantic partners. The study also examined the relationship between attachment and relationship power with respect to domestic violence. Generally, it should be found that attachment and relationship power should moderate aggression in relationships. The findings supported the hypotheses, in that people with insecure attachment styles were more abusive than people with secure attachment styles depending on perceived level of relationship power. Satisfaction with relationship power can predict abuse in dating couples. Tables, figures and references