An assessment of appraisals of dating relationship conflicts and perceptions of appropriate coping strategies with psychologically abusive interactions
IntroductionStemming from a stress appraisal and coping perspective, the present investigation developed a methodology for assessing how individuals appraise abusive dating relationship conflicts (Study 1) and the implications of such appraisals for informing coping responses to abusive interactions...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1286139/full |
| _version_ | 1797405178916241408 |
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| author | Kimberly Matheson Kimberly Matheson Daphne Wornovitzky Jyllenna Landry Hymie Anisman |
| author_facet | Kimberly Matheson Kimberly Matheson Daphne Wornovitzky Jyllenna Landry Hymie Anisman |
| author_sort | Kimberly Matheson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionStemming from a stress appraisal and coping perspective, the present investigation developed a methodology for assessing how individuals appraise abusive dating relationship conflicts (Study 1) and the implications of such appraisals for informing coping responses to abusive interactions (Study 2).MethodsParticipants ranging in age from 17 to 29 years (Study 1: 102 males, 339 females; Study 2: 88 males, 362 females) completed a survey in which they were presented with a series of 10 scenarios that conveyed relationship conflict cues that were ostensibly aligned with various forms of psychological abuse.ResultsFactor analyses indicated that blatant actions conducted in privacy were differentiated from more ambiguous public forms of psychological abuse, in that the latter were appraised by both males and females as more abusive. Females were further likely to appraise blatant conflicts as more threatening but at the same time more resolvable. Participants who had encountered abuse in their own intimate relationships were especially likely to appraise conflicts as abusive, threatening and uncontrollable. Such appraisals were associated with greater endorsement of avoidant coping strategies in response to an abusive encounter, irrespective of personal relationship experiences.DiscussionIt is suggested that how individuals appraise relationship conflicts may be key to their ability to cope effectively with such encounters or to provide appropriate support to those experiencing psychologically abusive relationships. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T03:06:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-77616899909f406fb307877a93107f4b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T03:06:01Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-77616899909f406fb307877a93107f4b2023-12-04T06:56:38ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782023-12-011410.3389/fpsyg.2023.12861391286139An assessment of appraisals of dating relationship conflicts and perceptions of appropriate coping strategies with psychologically abusive interactionsKimberly Matheson0Kimberly Matheson1Daphne Wornovitzky2Jyllenna Landry3Hymie Anisman4Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, CanadaInstitute of Mental Health Research, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, CanadaSchool of Social Work, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, CanadaDepartment of Psychology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, CanadaDepartment of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, CanadaIntroductionStemming from a stress appraisal and coping perspective, the present investigation developed a methodology for assessing how individuals appraise abusive dating relationship conflicts (Study 1) and the implications of such appraisals for informing coping responses to abusive interactions (Study 2).MethodsParticipants ranging in age from 17 to 29 years (Study 1: 102 males, 339 females; Study 2: 88 males, 362 females) completed a survey in which they were presented with a series of 10 scenarios that conveyed relationship conflict cues that were ostensibly aligned with various forms of psychological abuse.ResultsFactor analyses indicated that blatant actions conducted in privacy were differentiated from more ambiguous public forms of psychological abuse, in that the latter were appraised by both males and females as more abusive. Females were further likely to appraise blatant conflicts as more threatening but at the same time more resolvable. Participants who had encountered abuse in their own intimate relationships were especially likely to appraise conflicts as abusive, threatening and uncontrollable. Such appraisals were associated with greater endorsement of avoidant coping strategies in response to an abusive encounter, irrespective of personal relationship experiences.DiscussionIt is suggested that how individuals appraise relationship conflicts may be key to their ability to cope effectively with such encounters or to provide appropriate support to those experiencing psychologically abusive relationships.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1286139/fullpsychological abusedating relationshipsconflict appraisalscopinggenderdepressive affect |
| spellingShingle | Kimberly Matheson Kimberly Matheson Daphne Wornovitzky Jyllenna Landry Hymie Anisman An assessment of appraisals of dating relationship conflicts and perceptions of appropriate coping strategies with psychologically abusive interactions Frontiers in Psychology psychological abuse dating relationships conflict appraisals coping gender depressive affect |
| title | An assessment of appraisals of dating relationship conflicts and perceptions of appropriate coping strategies with psychologically abusive interactions |
| title_full | An assessment of appraisals of dating relationship conflicts and perceptions of appropriate coping strategies with psychologically abusive interactions |
| title_fullStr | An assessment of appraisals of dating relationship conflicts and perceptions of appropriate coping strategies with psychologically abusive interactions |
| title_full_unstemmed | An assessment of appraisals of dating relationship conflicts and perceptions of appropriate coping strategies with psychologically abusive interactions |
| title_short | An assessment of appraisals of dating relationship conflicts and perceptions of appropriate coping strategies with psychologically abusive interactions |
| title_sort | assessment of appraisals of dating relationship conflicts and perceptions of appropriate coping strategies with psychologically abusive interactions |
| topic | psychological abuse dating relationships conflict appraisals coping gender depressive affect |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1286139/full |
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