title: Relationship Satisfaction Mediates the Link Between Partner Aggression and Relationship Dissolution: The Importance of Considering Severity.
abstract: Physically and psychologically aggressive behaviors between members of a couple often lead to relationship dissatisfaction and dissolution. The current study utilized data from 346 clinical couples to investigate associations between psychological and moderate physical aggression and relationship dissolution, and whether relationship satisfaction acts as a mediator of these associations. Results from two series of Actor-Partner Interdependence Models (APIMs) were considered in which cases of severe aggression were initially removed from the analytic sample and then were included for secondary analyses. The first series of models showed that dyadic physical aggression was a weak predictor of the male partner's steps taken to leave the relationship and was not associated with the female's steps. Dyadic psychological aggression, however, was related to steps taken toward leaving by both partners, accounting for approximately 14% of the variance. Relationship satisfaction mediated associations between physical and psychological partner aggression and steps taken to leave. Findings from the second series of models, including cases of severe aggression, showed a significant association between dyadic physical aggression and the female's steps toward leaving. Moreover, relationship satisfaction no longer fully mediated associations between psychological or physical aggression and relationship dissolution risk. The importance of considering severity of physical partner aggression in research and clinical practice is discussed.
authors.affiliation: 1 Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA.
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Curtis
authors.affiliation: 2 University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Norman B
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Epstein
authors.affiliation: 1 Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA.
authors.forename: Brandan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wheeler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D012747:Sexual Partners / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: physical intimate partner violence; psychological aggression; relationship dissolution; relationship satisfaction