Violence, conflict and commitment : a study of dating couples

This thesis examined variables related to dating violence by comparing the responses of couples, with each pair completing questionnaires simultaneously and independently. Participants were 52 couples who were asked about violence in the relationship, verbal aggression, emotional commitment, and relationship duration. For violence and verbal aggression, participants reported on acts inflicted and received. For commitment, participants indicated their own level of commitment and rated their partners' commitment. This permitted a comparison between partners, and also between perception of the partner's commitment and the partner's self-report. In one-third of the couples, violence was reported in the current relationship. As predicted, violent couples were more likely than nonviolent couples to disagree with one another about issues of commitment in the relationship. Violent couples also reported higher levels of verbal aggression, greater commitment to the relationship, and longer relationship duration than did nonviolent couples. The results are discussed in terms of the value of a research design that uses both members of a couple and problems with the individual-only design that is common in this area of research. Suggestions are made about intervention with violent couples focusing on areas of disagreement such as level of emotional commitment.