Validity of Self-Reports of Marital Violence

• NCJ Number: 106213
• Journal: Journal of Family Violence Volume: 2 Issue: 2 Dated: (June 1987) Pages: 139-149
• Author(s): I Arias; S R H Beach
• Date Published: 1987
• Length: 11 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Portions of this paper were presented at the 57th Annual Meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association, New York, NY, April 1986.

Annotation

This study evaluated the relationship between social desirability and self-reported marital physical aggression in questionnaire data for 82 married men and 90 married women.

Abstract

Results suggest that needs for social approval may influence reports of the use of physical aggression against a spouse: both men and women who scored high on social desirability were less likely to report having perpetrated physical aggression. Reports of victimization, however, were unaffected by social desirability. Social desirability also did not influence the relationship between individual and couple characteristics and reports of physical aggression, nor did it influence reported severity or frequency of physical aggression. 17 references.