Theses and Dissertations

Parental Psychological Control, Attachment, and Perpetration of Psychological Aggression

Date of Award

2022

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.S.

Department

Psychology

Committee Chair

Lisa Turner

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) can be considered a major public health concern in the United States. Approximately 25% of women, and 10% of men in the United States experience some form of IPV. Previous research has provided evidence that individuals’ attachment orientations predict their perpetration of psychological aggression toward romantic partners. Furthermore, it is also known that experiences of parental psychological control (PPC) are related to attachment anxiety and avoidance, and indirectly related to perpetration of psychological aggression. However, little previous research has been conducted on disorganized attachment in adulthood, and therefore the current investigation was focused on the relation of PPC to disorganized attachment and psychological aggression. The current study examined a cross-sectional mediation model of parental psychological control, attachment, and psychological aggression. Structural equation modeling indicated support for the overall model for only heterosexual participants. Parental psychological control was significantly positively related to each dimension of attachment, but only disorganization was significantly related to psychological aggression. Attachment anxiety and avoidance did not contribute any unique variance after controlling for disorganization. Findings provide potentially useful information concerning the unique type of fear captured in disorganized attachment.

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