title: Personal standards for judging aggression by a relationship partner: How much aggression is too much?
abstract: What determines whether people tolerate partner aggression? This research examined how norms, relationship experiences, and commitment predict personal standards for judging aggressive acts by a partner. Studies 1a and 1b (n = 689) revealed that experiencing aggression in a current relationship and greater commitment predicted greater tolerance for common partner aggression. Study 2 longitudinally tracked individuals who had never experienced partner aggression (n = 52). Once aggression occurred, individuals adopted more tolerant standards, but only if they were highly committed. Study 3 involved experimentally manipulating the relevance of partner aggression among individuals who reported current partner aggression (n = 73); they were more tolerant of aggressive acts imagined to occur by their partner (vs. the same acts by a stranger), but only if they were highly committed. Personal standards for judging partner aggression are dynamic. They shift toward greater tolerance when committed people experience aggression in a current relationship.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University.
authors.forename: Ximena B
authors.initials: XB
authors.lastname: Arriaga
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Stonehill College.
authors.forename: Nicole M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Capezza
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University.
authors.forename: Christine A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Daly
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007600:Judgment; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D012747:Sexual Partners / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult