The role of own and perceived partner attachment in relationship aggression

This study explored the main and interactive effects of respondents' own attachment styles and their perception of the romantic partners attachment style on expressed and received aggression in a sample of 161 male and female undergraduates who reported on a heterosexual romantic, relationship. Overall, 52.8% reported expressing at least one, aet of aggression, and 39.1% reported sustaining of such an aet from their partner Regression analyses, indicated that describing (a) one's partner cis more preoccupied, (b)self and partner as more preoccupied, and (c) self as secure and partner as dismissing predicted higher levels of expressed aggression. Higher levels of sustained aggression were associated with describing (a) self as more fearful and partner US more preoccupied. (b) partner as more preoccupied, and (c) partner cis less fearful. These results suggest that interpersonal perception may play an important role in the level of relationship aggression reported to occur in romantic relationships.