Anger and hostility in maritally violent men: conceptual distinctions, measurement issues, and literature review

Marital violence researchers have generally used the terms anger and hostility interchangeably. However, there are important differences between anger and hostility that may be vital to understanding the relationship between these constructs and marital violence. The present manuscript highlights the advantages of distinguishing between anger and hostility. In order to investigate the role of anger and hostility in marital violence, we provide a comprehensive review of 26 empirical studies in addition to critically examining researchers' definitions of anger and hostility and the methods of assessment utilized in this body of research. While many researchers have presented data suggesting that maritally violent men are higher in anger and hostility than maritally nonviolent men, the findings are not consistent and vary in accordance with the construct assessed and the assessment strategy used.