Need for power, sex-role attitudes and spouse-specific assertion in wife assaulters

Abstract

The present investigation examined the relationship between male physical aggression towards female partners and need for power, sex-role attitudes, and spouse-specific assertion/aggression. The investigation involved two studies. In order to evaluate the newly developed Power Motivation Scale (Frieze & Schmidt, 1994), a sample of 67 policemen were recruited for the purposes of Study One. In the main experimental study (Study Two), 36 wife assaulters, 33 nonviolent maritally dissatisfied and 27 nonviolent maritally adjusted men completed the Power Motivation Scale, the Attitudes toward the Male Role Scale and the Spouse-Specific Assertiveness Scale. Violence and marital satisfaction were established using the Abusive Behaviour Inventory and the Short Marital Adjustment Test. As predicted wife assaulters were found to be significantly more power-motivated (p<.01), less liberal in their attitudes toward the male role (p<.001), and more psychologically aggressive (p<.05) than the nonviolent maritally adjusted men. While the present sample of wife assaulters significantly differed from the nonviolent adjusted men on these measures, they failed to differ from the nonviolent maritally dissatisfied men. Furthermore, contrary to prediction, wife assaulters and nonviolent dissatisfied and adjusted men failed to differ on spouse-specific assertion. These findings suggest that need for power, sex-role attitudes and spouse-specific aggression may characterize relationships which are dissatisfactory and in some cases violent Consistent with this interpretation was the finding that wife assaulters were more maritally dissatisfied than the nonviolent maritally dissatisfied sample (p<.05). Together, it was suggested that marital dissatisfaction and psychological aggression may mitigate the influence of power motivation and sex-role attitudes on wife assault.