Citation

Ducate CS. Vict. Offender 2022; 17(2): 238-257.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/15564886.2021.1925796

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious problem in the United States. The present study investigates whether a subset of unconscious cognitions known as implicit theories contribute to IPV. Thirty-three male and female university students completed a lexical decision task (LDT), which uses reaction times to gauge the degree of support for statements related to IPV.

FINDINGS indicated that IPV perpetrators held some implicit theories more strongly than non-perpetrators. Implications for treatment and research are discussed, as is the value of using tools like the LDT to measure otherwise elusive cognitive structures supporting deviant behavior.

Language: en

Keywords

implicit theories; Intimate partner violence; lexical decision task; offender cognition; reaction times