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Initial investigations of a multifactorial approach to the measurement of emotional abuse in dating relationships are presented. A set of 54 items was generated to assess 4 rationally derived subscales measuring Restrictive Engulfment, Hostile Withdrawal, Denigration, and Dominance / Intimidation. An exploratory factor analysis on reports of partner behavior by 157 female undergraduate students in dating relationships provided support for the hypothesized subscales. Denigration and Dominance/Intimidation had consistently higher correlations with physical aggression than did the other two forms of emotional abuse. Further evidence for discriminant and convergent validity was apparent in correlations with the circumplex scales of the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems, and with self-reported attachment variables. The results support the assessment of emotional abuse in dating relationships as a multifactorial construct.
Although a good deal of research has focused on physical aggression in dating relationships (e.g., Sugarman & Hotaling, 1989), very little work has examined emotional abuse in dating couples. This may be an unfortunate oversight given the apparent importance of emotional abuse in the development of physical relationship aggression. Longitudinal studies of newlywed couples, for example, have demonstrated that psychological aggression predicts the initiation and frequency of physical aggression (Leonard & Senchak, 1996; Murphy & O'Leary, 1989; O'Leary, Malone, & Tyree, 1994). At the severe end of the spectrum, the vast majority of clinical spouse batterers display a pervasive pattern of emotional abuse that occurs more frequently than physical violence (Murphy & Cascardi, in press). In addition to its apparent role in the development of physical abuse, emotional abuse can exert very negative effects. Over 70% of formerly battered women, for example, report that emotional abuse had more profound negative effects than physical abuse (Follingstad, Rutledge, Berg, Hause, & Polek, 1990).
Further research on emotional abuse in dating relationships may have a number of important implications. Such work may elucidate developmental processes associated with relationship violence. Emotional abuse may also prove useful in detecting individuals and couples at high risk for physical aggression. Research on emotional abuse may enhance our understanding of the consequences of abuse in dating relationships, including the ways in which abuse experiences may influence the development of intimate relationships and the capacity for intimacy.
Although there is no widely accepted definition of psychological or emotional abuse, some...