Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

The Use of the Adult Attachment Scale with Domestically Violent Men

  • ORIGINAL ARTICLE
  • Published:
Journal of Family Violence Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Empirical evidence highlights the utility of examining attachment styles in exploring the etiology of intimate partner violence perpetration, with insecure attachment styles regularly identified as underscoring domestically violent men. This study applied the 18-item self-report Adult Attachment Scale (Collins & Read, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 58(4), 644–663 1990) to 176 men entering a domestic violence perpetration counseling program. Factor analyses failed to result in the three factor model of the AAS. Subsequent item analyses indicated participants’ random and contradictory response style negated the possibility of any coherent factor structure. The results of this study caution investigators on the validity of self-report data with domestically violent men and offers both research and clinical/conceptual implications.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ainsworth, M. D. S., Blehar, M. C., Waters, E., & Wall, S. (1978). Patterns of attachment. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Aldarondo, E., & Castro-Fernandez, M. (2011). Risk and protective factors for domestic violence perpetration. In J. W. White, M. P. Koss, & A. E. Kazdin (Eds.), Violence against women and children: Mapping the terrain, volume 1 (pp. 221–242). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Arias, I., & Beach, S. (1987). Validity of self-reports of marital violence. Journal of Family Violence, 2, 139–149.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arias, I., Dankwort, J., Douglas, U., Dutton, M. A., & Stein, K. (2002). Violence against women: the state of batterer prevention programs. The Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, 30, 157–165.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barnett, O. W., Martinez, T. E., & Bluestein, B. W. (1995). Jealously and romantic attachment in martially violent and nonviolent men. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 10, 473–486.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bartholomew, K., & Horowitz, L. M. (1991). Attachment styles among young adults: a test of a four-category model. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 61, 226–244.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bowlby, J. (1969). Attachment and loss: vol: 1 attachment. New York: Basic Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bowlby, J. (1973). Attachment and loss: vol: 2 separation: anxiety and anger. New York: Basic Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bowlby, J. (1980). Attachment and loss: vol 3: sadness and depression. New York: Basic Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, D., & Brown, Z. (2008). The relationship between investor attachment style and financial advisor loyalty. The Journal of Behavioral Finance, 9(4), 232–240.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buttell, F., & Jones, C. (2001). Interpersonal dependency among court-ordered domestic violence offenders: a descriptive analysis. Journal of Family Violence, 16, 375–384.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buttell, F., Muldoon, J., & Carney, M. (2005). An application of attachment theory to court-mandated batterers. Journal of Family Violence, 20(4), 211–217.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2003). Costs of intimate partner violence against women in the United States. Retrieved from www.cdc.gov/ncipc/pub-res/ipv_cost/ipv.htm.

  • Center for Disease Control, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. (2011). Understanding intimate partner violence: Fact sheet. Retrieved from www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/IPV_factsheet-a.pdf.

  • Cohn, D. A., Silver, D. H., Cowan, P. A., & Pearson, J. (1992). Working models of childhood attachment and couple relationships. Journal of Family Issues, 13, 432–449.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Collins, N. (1996). Working models of attachment: implications for explanation, emotion, and behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 71(4), 810–832.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Collins, N. L., & Read, S. J. (1990). Adult attachment, working models, and relationship quality in dating couples. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 58(4), 644–663.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Crowell, N., & Burgess, A. (1996). Understanding violence against women. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Crowne, D. P., & Marlowe, D. (1964). The approval motive. New York: John Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Doumas, D. M., Pearson, C. L., Elgin, J. E., & McKinley, L. L. (2008). Adult attachment as a risk factor for intimate partner violence: the ‘mispairing’ of partners’ attachment styles. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 23(5), 616–634.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dutton, D. G. (2006). Rethinking domestic violence. Canada: University of British Columbia Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dutton, D. G. (2007). The abusive personality: Violence and control in intimate relationships (2nd ed.). New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dutton, D. G., Saunders, K., Starzomski, A., & Bartholomew, K. (1994). Intimacy-anger and insecure attachment as precursors of abuse in intimate relationships. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 24, 1367–1386.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dutton, D. G., van Ginkel, C., & Starzomski, A. (1995). The role of shame and guilt in the intergenerational transmission of abusiveness. Violence and Victims, 10(2), 121–131.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Eckhardt, C., & Utschig, A. (2007). Assessing readiness to change among perpetrators of intimate partner violence: analysis of two self-report measures. Journal of Family Violence, 22, 319–330.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Feeney, J. A., & Noller, P. (1990). Attachment styles as a predictor of adult romantic relationships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 58(2), 281–191.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • George, C., Kaplan, N., & Main, M. (1984). Attachment interviews for adults. Unpublished manuscript. University of California, Berkeley.

  • Gibbons, P., Collins, M., & Reid, C. (2011). How useful are indices of personality pathology when assessing domestic violence perpetrators. Psychological Assessment, 23(1), 164–173.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gormley, B. (2005). An adult attachment theoretical perspective of gender symmetry in intimate partner violence. Sex Roles, 52(11–12), 785–795.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Griffith, D. W., & Bartholomew, K. (1994). The metaphysics of measurement: The case of adult attachment. In K. Bartholomew & D. Perlman (Eds.), Advances in personal relationships: Vol. 5. Attachment processes in adulthood (pp. 17–52). London: Jessica Kinsley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hazan, C., & Shaver, P. (1987). Romantic love conceptualized as an attachment process. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 52, 511–524.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Helfritz, L. E., Stanford, M. S., Conklin, S. M., Greve, K. W., Villemarette-Pittman, N. R., & Houston, R. J. (2006). Usefulness of self-report instruments in assessing men accused of domestic violence. Psychological Record, 56, 171–180.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hirschfield, R. M., Klerman, G. L., Gough, H. G., Barrett, J., Korchin, S. J., & Chodoff, P. (1977). A measure of interpersonal dependency. Journal of Personality Assessment, 41, 610–618.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holtzworth-Munroe, A., Stuart, G. L., & Hutchinson, G. (1997). Violent versus nonviolent husbands: Differences in attachment patterns, dependency, and jealously. Journal of Family Psychology, 11(3), 314–331.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kirkpatrick, L. A., & Davis, K. E. (1994). Attachment style, gender, and relationship stability: a longitudinal analysis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 66, 502–512.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lawler-Row, K. A., Younger, J. W., Piferi, R. L., & Jones, W. H. (2006). The role of adult attachment style in forgiveness following an interpersonal offense. Journal of Counseling and Development, 84, 493–502.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mahalik, J. R., Aldarondo, E., Gilbert-Gokhale, S., & Shore, E. (2005). The role of insecure attachment and gender role stress in predicting controlling behaviors in men who batter. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 20, 617–631.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Main, M., & Goldwyn, R. (1991). Adult attachment rating and classification systems: Adult attachment coding manual. Unpublished Manuscript.

  • Mathes, E. W., & Severa, N. (1981). Jealously, romantic love, and liking: theoretical considerations and preliminary scale development. Psychological Reports, 49, 23–31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mauricio, A. M., & Gormley, B. (2001). Male perpetration of physical violence against female partners: the interaction of dominance needs and attachment insecurity. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 16, 1066–1081.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Max, W., Rice, D. P., Finkelstein, E., Bardwell, R. A., & Leadbetter, S. (2004). The economic toll of intimate partner violence against women in the United States. Violence and Victims, 19(3), 259–272.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mayseless, O., Danieli, R., & Sharabany, R. (1996). Adult’s attachment patterns: coping with separations. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 25(5), 667–690.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Millon, T. (1994). Millon clinical multiaxial inventory-III. Minneapolis, MN: National Computer Systems.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morrison, T. L., Goodlin-Jones, B. L., & Urquiza, A. J. (1997). Attachment and the representation of intimate relations in adulthood. Journal of Psychology: Interdisciplinary and Applied, 131(1), 57–71.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Murphy, C. M., Meyer, S., & O’Leary, K. D. (1994). Dependency characteristics of partner assaultive men. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 103, 729–733.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rathus, J. H. (1990). Development of the relationship-specific dependency scale. Unpublished master’s thesis. State University of New York, Stony Brook.

  • Rathus, J. H., & O’Leary, K. D. (1997). Spouse-specific dependency scale: scale development. Journal of Family Violence, 12(2), 159–168.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reese-Weber, M., & Marchand, F. J. (2002). Family and individual predictors of late adolescents’ romantic relationships. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 31(3), 197–207.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rempel, J. K., Holmes, J. G., & Zanna, M. P. (1985). Trust in close relationships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 49, 95–112.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Russell, D. W. (2002). In search of underlying dimensions: the use (and abuse) of factor analysis in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 28, 1629–1646.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shaver, P. R., Belsky, J., & Brennan, K. A. (2000). The Adult Attachment Interview and self-reports of romantic attachment: associations across domains and methods. Personal Relationships, 7, 25–43.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stosny, S. (1995). Treating attachment abuse: A compassionate approach. New York: Springer Publishing Company.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tasso, A. F. (2011). Domestic violence perpetrators: theory, research, and intervention. New Jersey Psychologist, 61(2), 20–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tjaden, P., & Thoennes, N. (2000). Extent, nature and consequences of intimate partner violence. Washington, DC: National Institute of Justice.

    Google Scholar 

  • Torquati, J. C., & Vazsonyi, A. T. (1999). Attachment as an organizational construct for affect, appraisal, and coping in late adolescent females. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 28(5), 545–562.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics (2009). Homicide trends in the United States. Retrieved from http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/homicide/tables/intimatestab.htm.

  • Wexler, D. B. (2006). The broken mirror: A self psychological treatment perspective for relationship violence. In D. Wexler (Ed.), Domestic violence 2000: An integrated skills program for men, group leader’s manual (pp. 6–20). New York: Norton.

    Google Scholar 

  • White, G. L. (1984). Comparison of four jealously scales. Journal of Research in Personality, 18, 115–130.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology & Counseling, Fairleigh Dickinson University, 285 Madison Ave (M-AB2-01), Madison, NJ, 07940, USA

    Anthony F. Tasso, Donalee Brown, Robert Griffo & Ketrin Saud Maxwell

  2. Jersey Battered Women’s Services, Inc, Morris County, NJ, USA

    Anthony F. Tasso

Authors
  1. Anthony F. Tasso
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Donalee Brown
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Robert Griffo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Ketrin Saud Maxwell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Anthony F. Tasso.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Tasso, A.F., Brown, D., Griffo, R. et al. The Use of the Adult Attachment Scale with Domestically Violent Men. J Fam Viol 27, 731–739 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-012-9466-9

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-012-9466-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation