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Social Information Processing in Anger Expression and Partner Violence in Returning U.S. Veterans
Casey T Taft1, Robin P Weatherill1, Jillian Panuzio Scott2
1Behavioral Sciences Division, National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System, and Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Journal of Traumatic Stress
|July 24, 2015
Summary
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in veterans are linked to anger and intimate partner violence (IPV). Cognitive biases mediate these associations, highlighting social information processing as a key factor.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Trauma Studies
Background:
- Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is prevalent in returning veterans.
- Understanding the mechanisms linking PTSD to aggression, specifically intimate partner violence (IPV), is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate social information processing (SIP) factors as mediators between PTSD symptoms and anger expression/IPV perpetration in male veterans.
- To identify specific PTSD symptom clusters and cognitive biases associated with aggression.
Main Methods:
- Utilized self-report questionnaires (PTSD Checklist, Anger Expression Scale, Conflict Tactics Scales) and the Articulated Thoughts in Simulated Situations protocol.
- Assessed cognitive biases and hostile attributions as mediators in a sample of 92 male Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans.
- Examined associations between PTSD symptom clusters, anger expression, and IPV perpetration.
Main Results:
- Hyperarousal symptoms in PTSD were strongly linked to anger expression (r = .50) and IPV perpetration (r = .27).
- Cognitive biases significantly mediated the relationship between PTSD scores and anger expression.
- Hostile attribution biases were directly associated with IPV perpetration (r = .23).
Conclusions:
- Social information processing, particularly cognitive biases and hostile attributions, plays a significant role in the link between PTSD and aggression in veterans.
- Findings suggest potential targets for interventions aimed at reducing anger and IPV in veterans with PTSD.
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