UC Irvine

Intimate partner violence (IPV) poses a significant risk for women, particularly during their college years. Women who have previously experienced adversity (in the form of child maltreatment, IPV, or attachment insecurity) are at greater risk revictimization in the form of IPV, yet the reasons why this occurs are poorly understood. In this series of three studies, a person perception paradigm was used to explore how women perceive propensity for aggression and IPV perpetration risk in unknown men after viewing their de-identified dating profiles. Study 1 (N = 500) examined the role of personal history factors (IPV victimization history, child maltreatment exposure, attachment orientation) on women’s perceptions of aggression and IPV perpetration risk. Findings revealed that women reporting higher levels of IPV victimization and childhood maltreatment were more likely to rate men higher in aggression and IPV perpetration risk, as well as more accurately rate men’s aggression and IPV perpetration risk level. In terms of attachment orientation, women reporting higher anxiety generally rated men higher in aggression, while women reporting higher avoidance demonstrated reduced accuracy in perceptions of aggression. Study 2 (N = 196) focused on the confidence women had in their judgments and the factors driving their perceptions of men’s aggression and IPV perpetration risk level. Despite confidence not being predictive of women’s general ratings or accuracy, a thematic analysis revealed that women often used cues like emotional expression and attitude, as well as societal stereotypes and signs of traditional gender roles to assess aggression and IPV risk. In fact, these themes were positively correlated with women’s general aggression ratings, such that women who identified more negative stereotypes or biases in the men, and who disliked how men expressed their emotions and characterized their personality, tended to rate men as more aggressive. Finally, Study 3 (N = 341) delved into the role of psychological processes—hypervigilance, dissociation, and experiential avoidance—in shaping women's perceptions of men’s aggression and IPV perpetration risk. Hypervigilance was significantly correlated with higher ratings and greater accuracy in perceiving aggression and IPV risk, even after controlling for trauma history. Romantic interest moderated the association between experiential avoidance and perceived aggression/IPV risk; such that women with higher experiential avoidance rated men as more aggressive/higher in IPV perpetration risk, but only when romantic interest was low. Importantly, across all three studies, women college students were able to consistently differentiate between men reporting low, moderate, and high levels of aggression, as well as between men reporting low and high IPV perpetration history after viewing their dating profiles. These findings highlight the need for tailored interventions and educational programs to help women better assess risk and promote safety in online dating contexts.