A dyadic analysis of partner maltreatment using an attachment-based diathesis–stress model: A lab-based study.

Abstract

Objectives: Interpersonal and contextual factors are increasingly acknowledged to play an important role in understanding intimate partner maltreatment, abuse, and aggression. Nevertheless, several gaps in the literature exist. First, there is little dyadic and observational research into partner maltreatment. Second, there is little application of theoretical models with an interpersonal focus to guide research, policy, and practice. The present study adopted a diathesis–stress framework to understand the dyadic associations between attachment orientations and partner maltreatment, and the moderating role of perceived stress. Method: A total of 172 heterosexual couples completed measures of attachment and perceived stress and participated in a video-recorded discussion task. The interactions were coded for behaviors indicative of partner maltreatment. Actor–partner interdependence models were used to examine actor effects of attachment anxiety or avoidance on one’s own and one’s partner’s perpetration of partner maltreatment. The moderating effect of stress on actor–partner interactions was also examined. Results: Actor attachment avoidance, but not actor attachment anxiety, predicted actor perpetration of maltreatment, whereas both actor attachment anxiety and actor attachment avoidance predicted partner perpetration of maltreatment. Actor attachment avoidance was more positively associated with partner perpetration of maltreatment among actors with higher, relative to lower, levels of stress. Tests of gender invariance revealed few differences between men and women. Conclusions: The findings contribute to an emerging body of literature that uses dyadic modeling and observational approaches to examine the etiology of partner maltreatment and suggest that when contextual and dyadic factors are modeled, the interdependent nature of partner maltreatment cannot be overlooked.

The Relationship between Emotional Intelligence and Marital Conflicts Using Actor-Partner Interdependence Model

“…These findings are consistent with previous research (Hadian & Amini, 2019;Jardine, Vannier, & Voyer, 2022;Knox et al, 2023;Mostova, Stolarski, & Matthews, 2022;Navabinejad, Rostami, & Parsakia, 2023;Parker et al, 2021;Schulsinger, 2022;Sevari & Talaeezadeh, 2015;Sidhu, Bhalla, & Ali, 2019;Suri & Kochhar, 2021;Wollny, Jacobs, & Pabel, 2020;Zmaczyńska-Witek, Komborska, & Rogowska, 2019) that has shown that emotional intelligence is an important factor in predicting marital satisfaction and relationship quality. Emotional intelligence allows individuals to better understand and manage their own emotions, as well as the emotions of their partners, leading to more effective communication and conflict resolution.…”

“…Emotional intelligence allows individuals to better understand and manage their own emotions, as well as the emotions of their partners, leading to more effective communication and conflict resolution (Gottman et al, 2019;Knox et al, 2023). Gottman and colleagues (2019) state that emotional intelligence was positively associated with marital satisfaction, and negatively associated with marital conflicts.…”

Dehumanization: Beyond the Intergroup to the Interpersonal

“…However, the more severe, blatant, and repeated the behavior is, the more those labels apply. Recent studies involving both self-report and observational assessments of dehumanization in romantic relationships have shown that both the frequency and severity of behavior are important aspects of determining the level of perpetration of interpersonal dehumanization (Knox et al, 2022; Pizzirani et al, 2019, 2021).…”

“…Regarding the association between the predictors of dehumanization and its enactment, this research has discovered various contemporaneous and developmental predictors of dehumanization. One contemporaneous predictor is attachment insecurity, which is associated with greater maltreatment of relationship partners involving the denial of human qualities (Knox et al, 2022; Morera et al, 2022,). Indeed, Knox et al (2022) found that perpetration of maltreatment (which includes coercion, manipulation, and dehumanization) is associated with the attachment insecurity of both the perpetrator and their partner.…”

“…One contemporaneous predictor is attachment insecurity, which is associated with greater maltreatment of relationship partners involving the denial of human qualities (Knox et al, 2022; Morera et al, 2022,). Indeed, Knox et al (2022) found that perpetration of maltreatment (which includes coercion, manipulation, and dehumanization) is associated with the attachment insecurity of both the perpetrator and their partner. Another factor is negative traits such as the dark triad (Bastian, 2019).…”