title: Perceived control and emotional status in abusive college student relationships: an exploration of gender differences.
abstract: The authors assessed perceived control, dysphoria, hopelessness, self-esteem, and optimism in 280 college students involved in abusive and nonabusive relationships. Women reported higher levels of dysphoria and lower levels of self-esteem and optimism than men. Women in abusive relationships reported more psychological symptoms than men in abusive relationships. After controlling for gender differences in emotional status, participants in abusive relationships showed more psychological symptoms than those in nonabusive relationships. Women showed lower perceived control of relationship conflicts than men. Men experiencing high levels of abuse reported higher perceived control of relationship conflict than females experiencing low levels of abuse. Perceived control was affected more by gender than emotional status, abuse level, and gender-affected emotional status. The authors discuss the results in terms of their implications for future investigations of emotional reactions to abuse.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, 28403, USA. clementsc@uncwil.edu
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Clements
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ogle
authors.forename: Caryn
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sabourin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology*; D018585:Battered Women / Q000523:psychology; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006380:Helplessness, Learned; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012649:Self Concept; D012737:Sex Factors; D015144:Southeastern United States; D013179:Spouse Abuse / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires