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Effects of Angry Rumination and Distraction in Intimate Partner Violent Men
Julia C Babcock1, Andrea L Potthoff2
1University of Houston, TX, USA.
Journal of Interpersonal Violence
|February 1, 2020
Summary
Men who perpetrate intimate partner violence (IPV) experience increased heart rate during angry rumination. Distraction strategies alone are insufficient for reducing physiological arousal in IPV men.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Forensic Psychology
Background:
- Rumination is linked to intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration.
- The emotional and physiological responses of IPV men during angry rumination are not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of rumination versus distraction on the emotional and physiological states of men who perpetrate IPV.
- To compare the responses of IPV men to nonviolent (NV) men.
Main Methods:
- An experimental design using the rumination-distraction paradigm.
- Participants included IPV (N=87) and NV (N=30) men.
- Anger induction followed by random assignment to rumination or distraction conditions.
Main Results:
- IPV men showed increased heart rate from baseline to postrumination.
- No significant change in physiological arousal was observed in the distraction condition.
- Both rumination and distraction conditions led to increased state anger, with no significant difference between IPV and NV men.
Conclusions:
- Distraction techniques like time-outs may not effectively reduce physiological arousal in IPV men.
- Interventions addressing mindfulness, physiological soothing, cognitive distortions, and rumination may be more effective for managing negative arousal in IPV men.
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