Power and affiliation motivation, stress, and abuse in intimate relationships

The associations among n Power, n Affiliation, inhibition, stressful life events, and infliction and receipt of psychological and physical abuse in intimate relationships were investigated in a sample of 48 male and 107 female college undergraduates. Results indicated that life events that were perceived as being negative were associated with both the infliction and the receipt of abuse for women but not for men. Individual personality characteristics determined the tactics used in resolving intimate interpersonal conflicts. High n Power was significantly associated with the infliction of physical abuse on their partners by men, but not by women. For women, n Affiliation and activity inhibition moderated the effect that stress has on the infliction of abuse. Highly stressed women with high n Affiliation and low activity inhibition were the most likely to inflict abuse. Length and status of relationship were also found to be related to abuse, with abuse occurring most often between more committed couples. Sex differences were found for the relation between infliction and receipt of abuse. That is, receipt of abuse was highly correlated with infliction of abuse for women but not for men, suggesting that when women strike out they are struck in return.