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Negative reciprocity and communication in couples with a violent husband
J V Cordova1, N S Jacobson, J M Gottman
1Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle 98195.
Journal of Abnormal Psychology
|November 1, 1993
Summary
Couples experiencing domestic violence exhibit more negative interactions than distressed or happy couples. Specifically, negative reciprocity is common, with wives equally likely to escalate conflict.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Family Studies
Background:
- Understanding couple dynamics is crucial for addressing domestic violence.
- Previous research indicates differing interaction patterns between violent and non-violent couples.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze interaction patterns in couples with husband-to-wife domestic violence (DV).
- To compare these patterns with distressed non-violent (DNV) and happily married (HM) couples.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Marital Interaction Coding System.
- Employed lag sequential analyses to examine interaction sequences.
- Studied three groups: 29 DV couples, 15 DNV couples, and 13 HM couples.
Main Results:
- DV couples displayed more aversive and less facilitative behaviors than non-violent couples.
- DV couples engaged in significantly higher rates of negative reciprocity compared to DNV and HM couples.
- Wives in DV couples were as prone to reciprocating negative behavior as their husbands.
Conclusions:
- Husband-to-wife domestic violence is characterized by heightened negative reciprocity.
- Wives' behavior does not appear to reinforce husbands' aversive actions in these dynamics.
- Findings challenge negative reinforcement models for domestic violence perpetration.
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