The Influence of Trauma on Threat-Reactive Aggression
Open Access
- Author:
- Leong Mattern, Alexandra Christine
- Graduate Program:
- Psychology
- Degree:
- Master of Science
- Document Type:
- Master Thesis
- Date of Defense:
- October 13, 2017
- Committee Members:
- Amy Marshall, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor
James LeBreton, Committee Member
Ginger Moore, Committee Member - Keywords:
- Trauma
PTSD
IPV
threat sensitivity - Abstract:
- Trauma exposure is consistently associated with men’s perpetration of intimate partner violence (IPV), potentially due to trauma-related biased perception of threat. In this area of research, threat is typically defined in terms of physical danger or harm. To date, it is not well known if threat functionally motivates initiation of aggression or if the nature of threat extends beyond stimuli signaling physical danger/harm. However, theory and limited research suggest that threats of rejection/abandonment and threats of social dominance may reflect distinct functional precipitants of aggression perpetration among trauma-exposed men. This study was designed to assess men’s aggressive responses in the context of their wives’ rejection/abandonment and social dominance threats in order to better understand the circumstances in which aggression is used among men varying in degree of trauma exposure. Among 64 community couples selected for elevated symptoms of PTSD in either partner, husbands’ aggressive behaviors and their wives’ threats of rejection/abandonment and social dominance were objectively observed during couple conflict interactions. The severity of wives’ rejection/abandonment threats predicted the severity of husbands’ aggression perpetration among husbands with high ( = .71, t = 3.68, p < .001), but not low ( = .03, t = .18, p = .854), levels of trauma exposure. Likewise, the severity of wives’ social dominance threats predicted the severity of husbands’ aggression perpetration among husbands with high ( = .67, t = 5.34, p < .001), but not low ( = .08, t = .54, p = .590), levels of trauma exposure. Thus, men with relatively high trauma exposure may respond aggressively to women’s threats of rejection/abandonment and social dominance. These findings are consistent with research suggesting that traumatized men’s misperceptions of threat may motivate their aggression, and indicate that aggression may also be used in the context of accurately detected threat. Findings also suggest that men may respond aggressively to an array of objectively threatening behaviors, including those that reflect rejection/abandonment and social dominance.