Emotion Dysregulation as a Moderator of the Association Between Relationship Dependency and Female-Perpetrated Dating Aggression

Abstract

The dependency-possessiveness model proposes that individuals who are highly dependent on their intimate partner and fear partner abandonment, particularly among those with emotion dysregulation problems, may be at heightened risk for intimate partner aggression (IPA) perpetration. Despite prior research establishing a link between relationship dependency and male IPA perpetration, it is unknown whether this association extends to female-perpetrated aggression, occurs in dating relationships, and is moderated by emotion dysregulation. Thus, the purpose of the current study was to investigate the association between relationship dependency and female-perpetrated dating aggression and determine if emotion dysregulation moderated this hypothesized relationship. Female undergraduate students ( N = 119) completed measures assessing relationship dependency, emotion dysregulation, and female-perpetrated physical and psychological dating aggression as part of a larger study investigating the context of dating aggression episodes. Anxious attachment was significantly correlated with female-perpetrated psychological and physical dating aggression. Regression analyses indicated a significant interaction between the Spouse-Specific Dependency Scale [SSDS] Anxious Attachment subscale and emotion dysregulation predicting female-perpetrated physical dating aggression, suggesting moderation. There was a positive association between anxious attachment relationship dependency and female-perpetrated physical dating aggression at high levels of emotion dysregulation. A significant interaction was also found between the SSDS Emotional Dependency subscale and emotion dysregulation predicting female-perpetrated physical dating aggression, such that among those with low scores in emotion dysregulation, there was a positive relationship between emotional dependency and female-perpetrated physical dating aggression. Findings suggest that the ability to regulate emotions may play an important role in the association between relationship dependency and female-perpetrated dating aggression.