A model of interpersonal physical violence is derived from the aggression literature and then is utilized to investigate interspousal violence. The model posits that verbal aggression is a catalyst to violence when societal, personal, and situational factors are strong enough to produce a hostile predisposition. Unless aroused by verbal aggression, a hostile disposition remains latent in the form of unexpressed anger. The framework suggests that persons in violent, marriages are more verbally aggressive than other people, and also produces the counterintuitive prediction that violent spouses are less argumentative than people in nonviolent marriages. A study is reported which compared clinical cases of abused wives and abusive husbands to a nonclinical population of husbands and wives. Strong support for the hypothesis was observed. Implications of the results are discussed in terms of understanding communication in violent marriages.

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This study examines verbal aggression in the disputes of abusive couples. Verbal aggressionis defined as both a predispositional trait and a relational pattent, so it is viewed within a system t h e o y f r a m r k . Specijically, the study considers the relatwnship between verbal aggression and marital distress, the level of agreement between couples in reporting their verbally aggressive behaw, and the level and type of reciprocity in t k r verbal aggression.A sample of 82 couples representingvwlent, nonviolent distressed, and nondistressed relatwnships completed self-report instruments on verbal aggression and argumentativeness for themselvesand their spousesandmarital satisfaction for themselves. Results show that abusive couples experience less marital satisjizctwn, less accurately recall each othprs behavior, and have signijicant reciprocity in their verbal aggression compared to nonviolent distressed and nondistressed couples.

1996) Trait verbal aggressiveness and the appropriateness and effectiveness of fathers' interaction plans, Communication Quarterly, 44:1, 1-15,

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