Using response escalation paradigms to assess escalatory processes in intimate partner violence

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious public health concern with lasting consequences. Though some conflict is inevitable in relationships, a combination of distal and moment-to-moment proximal factors determine whether an argument remains within normative bounds or escalates into partner violence. While theoreticians recognize the importance of escalatory micro-level processes, little empirical work has examined the moment-to-moment processes associated with partner aggression and violence given ethical and practical obstacles. Thus, we present the Response Escalation Paradigm, an adaptable vignette paradigm following a trajectory of hypothetical partner violence, as a methodological tool to assess and model moment-to-moment behaviors, motivations, and emotions.