The proposed study will identify subtypes of maritally violent men, to examine how and why different men are violent. Based upon previous batterer typologies, we hypothesize that three subtypes of maritally violent men will be identified (i.e., family only, dysphoric/borderline, and generally violent/antisocial) on the basis of three major descriptive dimensions-- severity of marital violence, generality of violence, and psychopathology/personality disorder. Based upon a review of previous typologies and our developmental model of marital violence, we hypothesize that these subgroups will also be found to differ on other theoretical variables of interest (i.e., variables hypothetically linked to the use of violence), including attachment, impulsivity, social skills, attitudes toward women, and attitudes toward violence. To increase the usefulness of our work to others, we will identify the smallest subset of measures needed to reliably distinguish the subtypes. The proposed study will address a number of limitations in the previous research on subtypes of batterers. We will recruit a wide variety of violent men, including not only men seeking treatment for marital violence, but also violent husbands from the community, to extend the findings of previous research to a broader sample of violent men. We will develop an initial typology, based on data from one sample of violent men, and then attempt to replicate the typology with a second sample of violent men. The stability, or test-retest reliability, of the typology will be examined by assessing one group of violent men at two points in time, separated by approximately 18 months. Two comparison groups of nonviolent men-- one maritally distressed and one nondistressed-- will be recruited, allowing us to compare each subtype of violent husband to the nonviolent groups. This will help us to better understand the different processes of violence among the subtypes and to distinguish men who are not severely violent from nonviolent men. Finally, we will not only gather information from the subjects, but also from their wives; we also will not only gather self-report information, but also behavioral measures (e.g., marital interactions, behavioral measures of impulsivity).
| Walling, Sherry M; Meehan, Jeffrey C; Marshall, Amy D et al. (2012) The relationship of intimate partner aggression to head injury, executive functioning, and intelligence. J Marital Fam Ther 38:471-85 |
| Holtzworth-Munroe, Amy; Meehan, Jeffrey C (2004) Typologies of men who are maritally violent: scientific and clinical implications. J Interpers Violence 19:1369-89 |
| Holtzworth-Munroe, Amy; Meehan, Jeffrey C; Herron, Katherine et al. (2003) Do subtypes of maritally violent men continue to differ over time? J Consult Clin Psychol 71:728-40 |
| Meehan, J C; Holtzworth-Munroe, A; Herron, K (2001) Maritally violent men's heart rate reactivity to marital interactions: a failure to replicate the Gottman et al. (1995) typology. J Fam Psychol 15:394-408 |
| Holtzworth-Munroe, A; Meehan, J C; Herron, K et al. (2000) Testing the Holtzworth-Munroe and Stuart (1994) batterer typology. J Consult Clin Psychol 68:1000-19 |
