Association Between Intimate Partner Violence and Aggressor Mental Well-Being
Introduction: Intimate partner violence as a topic has been heavily studied in the field of psychology. It has long been known that victims of intimate partner violence have increased rates of depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, and PTSD, with depression and anxiety disorders being the most common. Though there is a large body of research on this topic, mental well-being in the aggressor has not been studied. This study adds to the body of intimate partner violence research by examining the mental well-being of aggressors. Research Questions: The topic of the impact aggression has on mental health has been heavily researched, examining this relationship in regard to those on the receiving end of the aggression. I add to this body of research by addressing the question, In college students, does engaging in aggressive behavior impact mental well-being? I propose the following hypotheses: 1) More negative conflict tactics (psychology and physical aggression) will lead to higher levels of anxiety and depression, 2) More coercive control will result in higher levels of anxiety and depression. Methods: We randomly assigned undergraduate students to either the control or experimental condition. The control condition was an article on growth mindset in intelligence and the experimental condition was an article on nonzero-sum beliefs. After undergoing the manipulation, participants completed an online survey. They were presented with a conflict scenario and asked how they would respond. After the scenario, they answered questions concerning intimate partner violence and approval of violence in relationships. Upon completion of these questions, participants answered questions concerning their current mental well-being and diagnosed mental illnesses. Results: It was found that as negative conflict tactics increase, levels of anxiety increase, and as coercive control increases, levels of depression increase. Similar trends were noted for negative conflict tactics and depression and coercive control and anxiety, but these results were not statistically significant. We also found that there is a significant difference between the mean depression score for those in the nonzero-sum manipulation group and those in the control group, and there is a significant difference between the mean anxiety score for those in the nonzero-sum manipulation group and those in the control group. Conclusion: Overall, the results from this study support the idea that mental well-being of aggressors is impacted by intimate partner violence.
Very informative and well done research on an interesting topic. The presentation and poster were engaging and descriptive with lots of detail. The poster itself was aesthetically pleasing with good formatting, a nice color scheme, and a nice layout. The infographics really added to the content making it easier to see the results of the data. It is clear that you really cared about this topic and put lots of time and effort into it. Good job!