1. Objectifs

Intentions :
«The present study goes beyond past research by examining the role of experience and expression of anger in couples as a mediating and a moderating affective variable in the relationship between romantic attachment and intimate violence.» (p. 352)

Questions/Hypothèses :
«Thus, in the mediating model, our hypothesis is that an insecure romantic attachment is related to experience and expression of anger towards the partner (high trait anger, state anger, anger-in and anger-out, and low anger control), and this anger is associated with intimate violence. In the moderating model, we postulate that male and female functional anger (low trait anger, state anger, anger-in and anger-out, and high anger control) buffers the relationship between insecure romantic attachment and intimate violence.» (p. 352)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
«The present study included 316 French-Canadian heterosexual couples from a representative sample. In order to participate in the study, all subjects had to have been either married (n=202) or cohabiting (n=114) for at least 6 months and had to be older than the age of 18.» (p. 352)

Instruments :
- Experiences in Close Relationships questionnaire
- Inventory of Anger Experience in Couples (IAEC)
- Revised Conflict Tactics Scales

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse statistique

3. Résumé

«The present study provides strong support for the hypotheses that the expression and experience of anger in couples play a mediator and moderator role in the association between romantic attachment and intimate violence. […] The first main conclusion drawn from our findings involves the relationship between romantic attachment and anger towards the partner, which was significant. Experience and expression of anger were related to male and female anxiety over abandonment and avoidance of intimacy. […] The second conclusion that can be drawn is that the link between insecure attachment and intimate violence is different for men and women. The present study has demonstrated that male avoidance of intimacy is directly related to psychological violence. Further, anxiety over abandonment in women predicts their use of psychological and physical violence. […] The third conclusion that can be drawn from the present study is that, according to the mediator model, avoidance of intimacy by men led to a dysfunctional experience of anger in their couple, which in turn resulted in the use of intimate psychological violence.» (p. 357)