Date of Award
January 2015
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Psychological Sciences
First Advisor
Christopher I Eckhardt
Committee Member 1
Douglas Samuel
Committee Member 2
Susan C South
Committee Member 3
James M Tyler
Abstract
The present study was an empirical evaluation of I³ “perfect storm” theory (“I-Cubed”;Finkel & Eckhardt, 2013; Finkel, 2014), in which the interactive risk processes of instigation, emotion regulation, and trait anger were examined in the prediction of intimate partner violence (IPV) related behaviors. In a 2 X 4 between subjects design, a sample of college undergraduates (N = 180) with a history of IPV were randomly assigned to use 1 of 4 emotion regulation strategies (cognitive reappraisal, distraction, suppression, or no instruction) while listening to either a anger arousing (instigation) or neutral (no instigation) imagined relationship scenario presented using the Articulated Thoughts in Simulated Situations (ATSS) paradigm. IPV-related behaviors were assessed via participants’ coded aggressive verbalizations during the imagined relationship scenario and self-reported desire to engage in IPV-related behaviors following the ATSS. Results supported the “perfect storm” hypothesis that greatest risk for IPV-related behaviors occurred when participants who endorsed high (versus low) levels of trait anger experienced provocation and engaged in suppression as a weak inhibitory strategy for emotion regulation χ²(1) = 20.34, p < .001 (r = .62). In addition, the prosocial outcome of negotiation with one’s partner was endorsed most frequently following the use of cognitive reappraisal without provocation (F(3, 164) = 2.903, p <.05). Implications for future research and intervention are discussed in the context of “perfect storm” theory.
Recommended Citation
Birkley, Erica Lynn, "The Effects of Instigation, Anger, and Emotion Regulation on Intimate Partner Violence Related Behaviors: Examination of the Perfect Storm Theory" (2015). Open Access Dissertations. 1168.
https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/open_access_dissertations/1168