FOR WHOM DOES PERCEPTION OF THREAT PREDICT SUSEQUENT AGGRESSION PERPETRATION?
Restricted (Penn State Only)
- Author:
- Leong Mattern, Alexandra Christine
- Graduate Program:
- Psychology
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- June 16, 2021
- Committee Members:
- Steffany Fredman, Outside Unit & Field Member
Amy Marshall, Chair & Dissertation Advisor
James Lebreton, Major Field Member
Yo Jackson, Major Field Member
Kristin Buss (She/Her), Program Head/Chair - Keywords:
- family violence
IPV
PCA
dominance
interpersonal threat
threat sensitivity
threat perception - Abstract:
- A breadth of literature suggests that characteristics of dominance may be implicated in aggression perpetration. Yet, it remains unclear 1) the nature of the relationship between dominance and aggression, and 2) whether individual differences in dominance translate directly to contextual-level behavior to promote aggression across multiple relationship contexts. Theory and limited research suggest that threats to one’s dominance may be salient catalysts for aggression perpetration, and that individual differences in possession of dominance may influence the extent to which such threats motivate aggression perpetration. Men and women (N = 95, representing 50 couples) with children aged 3-5 years rated their possession of dominance in their intimate relationship and parent-child relationship and were interviewed about recent incidents of intimate partner aggression (IPA) and parent-to-child aggression (PCA). For each incident of aggression, partners reported the intensity of perceived social dominance threat from their partner and/or child immediately prior to their first act of aggression as well as their number of acts of aggression perpetration. Within incidents of IPA, more intense perceptions of social dominance threat were associated with the use of more aggressive behaviors among men with low, but not high, dominance in their intimate relationships as well as women with high, but not low, dominance in their intimate relationships. These associations also reflect that, in the context of relatively less intense perceptions of social dominance threat, men with high and women with low dominance in their relationships used more IPA than men with low and women with high dominance in their relationships. Within incidents of PCA, more intense perceptions of social dominance threat were associated with the use of more aggressive behaviors among men and women with low parental dominance as well as the use of fewer aggressive behaviors among men and women with high parental dominance. These associations also reflect that, in the context of relatively less intense perceptions of social dominance threat, men and women with high possession of dominance in their parent-child relationships used more aggression while men and women low in possession of dominance in their parent-child relationships used less aggression. Results generally align with research suggesting that aggression among individuals low in dominance may reflect attempts to obtain dominance, whereas aggression among individuals high in dominance may reflect attempts to maintain dominance. Results also suggest that perceptions of social dominance threat do not always motivate aggression and may function differently across relationships to promote aggression.