Validating measures of emotional abuse with behavioral observations during interpersonal conflict

Abstract

Emotional abuse is a form of intimate partner violence that can have detrimental effects on both individual well-being and relationship outcomes. However, differences in definitions and forms of emotional and psychological abuse have led to difficulties in its measurement. The Multi-Dimensional Measure of Emotional Abuse (MMEA) is an emotional abuse index that differentiates several different forms of psychological abuse. The current study sought to validate subscales of the MMEA by examining their relation to emotionally abusive behavior observed during interpersonal conflict. Additionally, the Conflict Tactics Scale Psychological Aggression scale and its severity subscales (CTS-PA) were compared to the MMEA. Heterosexual couples ( N = 167) participated in a conflict discussion task. Conflict discussions were coded for belligerence, contempt, domineering, and stonewalling behavior. Women completed the MMEA and CTS-PA questionnaire about their own and their partners’ emotional abuse perpetration. Results indicated that the total MMEA score for men and women was associated with belligerence, whereas the CTS-PA total score was associated with women’s contempt. The restricted engulfment subscale was associated with men’s dominance and contempt, and woman’s belligerence. The minor CTS-PA scale was associated with men and women’s contempt, and women’s stonewalling. The severe CTS-PA scale was only associated with women’s contempt. Additionally, we found significant associations between men’s stonewalling and contempt and their partner’s MMEA and CTS-PA subscales. For women, stonewalling was associated with their partner’s restricted engulfment. Men’s hostile withdrawal scale was also associated with their partner’s dominance during the conflict. Our results suggest that the MMEA multi-dimensional subscales appear to capture a wider range specific abusive behaviors compared to the CTS-PA’s severity constructs.

Intimate partner aggression predicts depressive symptomatology across the first 9 years of marriage.

“…Therefore, consistent with our hypotheses (Hypothesis 3b), in years when a husband was more psychologically aggressive, his wife reported greater depression 1–3 years later (i.e., at the following assessment) if the aggression was relatively more unilateral than when the aggression was bidirectional. These findings are similar to those in cross-sectional research examining psychological aggression and posttraumatic stress disorder symptomatology (Godfrey et al, 2021) and further support the idea that women who are primarily victims of asymmetrical aggression may be the most at risk of developing long-term heightened mental health symptoms.…”

“…We hypothesized that there would be a significant positive association between experiencing aggression from a partner and depressive symptoms, independent of using aggression toward a partner, at both between- and within-person levels (Hypotheses 1a and 2a), for both husbands and wives. However, consistent with Godfrey et al (2021), we hypothesized that the effects of experiencing aggression from a partner on depressive symptoms would depend on levels of using aggression toward a partner (Hypotheses 1b and 2b). Specifically, we hypothesized that when individuals experienced more aggression from their partner than typical for them (i.e., greater than their individual mean levels), they would also report more depressive symptoms.…”

“…Additionally, it is unknown if the effects of experiencing aggression on depressive symptoms vary between individuals who solely experience aggression from a partner and those who engage in bilaterally aggressive behavior. Preliminary findings suggest that the link between experiencing psychological aggression and mental health symptomatology is stronger for individuals who solely experience aggression than for those who also use aggression (Godfrey et al, 2021). Therefore, it is essential to examine differences between couples who engage in bilateral aggression and those with less symmetric aggression in the strength of the association between experiencing aggression and depressive symptomatology.…”

Exploring Psychological Intimate Partner Violence Using Brief Expressive Writing Essays

“…Overwhelmingly, survey data dominates the study area, and self-report measures rely on individuals to disclose their own NPIPV experiences. Even though measures such as the Conflicts Tactics Scale and the Multi-Dimensional Measure of Emotional Abuse have proven their clinical utility, they only collect data based on the question items that bind them (Godfrey et al, 2021;Maldanado et al, 2020;Straus et al, 1996;Waltermaurer, 2005). While it is essential to highlight the specific behaviors of NPIPV, research that examines the nuances of these tactics may yield more valuable data.…”

“…A provisional composition outlined eight characteristics of psychological aggression previously defined by the IPV literature as the basis of possible NPIPV to be categorized (e.g., denigration, manipulation, isolation, restricting social interactions, gaslighting, dominance, threats, and controlling behaviors). These eight behaviors were distinguished after a preliminary review of the data based on the knowledge developed by an informed literature review (Godfrey et al, 2021;McCauley et al, 2018;Pence et al, 1982) and previous findings through qualitative (Faust, 2021) and quantitative research using selfreport scales (Maldanado et al, 2020).…”