Object relations in abusive partner relationships: an empirical investigation

The Social Cognition and Object Relations Scale (Westen, Barends, Leigh, Mendel, & Silbert, 1990) was used to assess four dimensions of object relations in the descriptions of relationship episodes of 41 men and 40 women entering psychotherapy and reporting physical abuse in their marital or partner relationships on the Conflict Tactics Scale (Straus, 1979) and in a matched group of 13 men and 13 women reporting no partner violence. Object relations levels were lower for men and women in the abusive relationships group. No differences were found between men and women in either relationship group. The findings provide empirical support for a hypothesis developed in the clinical literature of object relations impairment among both partners in abusive relationships.