Gender Differences in Attribution of Guilt to the Participants of Typical and Atypical Marital Violence Scenarios

Abstract

Objectives. Analysis of gender differences in attribution of guilt to the aggressor and the victim of spousal violence, depending on the victim’ and the aggressor’ gender. Background. Studies of spousal aggression show that a man’s aggression towards a woman is perceived as typical aggression, attribution of guilt to the victim-wife is directly related to the faith in a just world and the aggressor-husband is attributed more guilt than the aggressor-wife. The connection of the attribution of guilt to the victim-husband with faith in a just world and the correlation between the attribution of guilt to the victim-husband and the attribution of guilt to the victim-wife, depending on the gender of the respondents, has not been sufficiently studied. Study design. We evaluated 1) correlation of attribution of guilt to participants in a typical and atypical situation of violence through the sample as a whole and separately for men and women, and 2) differences in the level of attribution of guilt to participants in their own and opposite gender group using the method of variance analysis. Participants. 1,157 people, including 679 women, aged 18 to 66. Measurements. The questionnaire included a survey form «Faith in a just world» (Dalbert C.) and a vignette describing the situation of marital violence in different-sex couples, the gender of the victim varied. Results. The attribution of guilt to the victim-wife is directly related to faith in a just world only among women; the connection of the victim-wife’s guilt with faith in a just world is reversed among men. Much guilt for a representative of its gender group is only shown when assessing the typical victim and aggressor. Conclusions. The results suggest that attribution of guilt to the victim and gender favoritism are only shown in case of the possibility of identification with the victim’s position.