Ariables) explaining two to three times more variance in relationship stability than the model that included only relationship adjustment.NIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author ManuscriptDiscussionIn this large, national sample of unmarried young adults in opposite-sex relationships, nearly half of them (48.4 ) reported experiencing some sort of physical aggression in the current relationship. The findings show that having a history of aggression in this relationship was related in predicted directions to several different aspects of relationship commitment and also with relationship stability. Further, findings from the current study demonstrate that among those who have a history of aggression in the last year, constraints explain additional variability in who breaks up than relationship adjustment alone. Thus, considering commitment-related constructs seems to be important in knowing which couples with a history of aggression will stay together or break-up. Previous research on physical aggression and commitment has indicated a positive association in which couples who experience aggression tend report higher levels of commitment (Hammock O’Hearn, 2002; Pedersen Thomas, 1992), but these I-CBP112 chemical information studiesJ Fam Psychol. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2011 December 1.GGTI298 supplement Rhoades et al.Pagehave typically conceptualized commitment as marital status. In contrast, we used commitment theory (Stanley Markman, 1992) as a framework to study the associations between aggression and dedication and constraint and found that having experienced aggression in the last year was associated with less dedication to the relationship, but also more barriers to leaving, compared to those who did not have a history of aggression. Specifically, those who had experienced aggression in the last year reported more material constraints, such as sharing financial obligations, as well as more perceived constraints, such as believing other suitable partners are not available or experiencing social pressure to stay together. In addition, they tended to have been in their relationships longer and were more likely to be living together and to have a child together than those without a history of aggression. When dedication is low and constraint commitment is high, it should be associated with discomfort and unease for the involved partners (Stanley Markman, 1992); in the current study, this discomfort is evidenced by the finding that those who had experienced aggression in the last year were more likely to report feeling trapped than those who had not. There were fewer differences between those without a history of physical aggression and those who experienced it only in the past but not in the last year. Those who had experienced aggression in the past, but not in the last year, had more barriers to leaving and reported feeling more trapped than those with no history of aggression. These differences tended to be smaller in size than the differences between those who had experienced aggression in the last year and those who had not experienced any aggression in the current relationship. These findings suggest that those who had experienced aggression previously, but not in the past year, may have made gains in terms of relationship safety compared to an earlier period in the relationship. Although not hypothesized, there were also some differences in commitment between those who had experienced aggression in the last year and those who had experi.Ariables) explaining two to three times more variance in relationship stability than the model that included only relationship adjustment.NIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author ManuscriptDiscussionIn this large, national sample of unmarried young adults in opposite-sex relationships, nearly half of them (48.4 ) reported experiencing some sort of physical aggression in the current relationship. The findings show that having a history of aggression in this relationship was related in predicted directions to several different aspects of relationship commitment and also with relationship stability. Further, findings from the current study demonstrate that among those who have a history of aggression in the last year, constraints explain additional variability in who breaks up than relationship adjustment alone. Thus, considering commitment-related constructs seems to be important in knowing which couples with a history of aggression will stay together or break-up. Previous research on physical aggression and commitment has indicated a positive association in which couples who experience aggression tend report higher levels of commitment (Hammock O’Hearn, 2002; Pedersen Thomas, 1992), but these studiesJ Fam Psychol. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2011 December 1.Rhoades et al.Pagehave typically conceptualized commitment as marital status. In contrast, we used commitment theory (Stanley Markman, 1992) as a framework to study the associations between aggression and dedication and constraint and found that having experienced aggression in the last year was associated with less dedication to the relationship, but also more barriers to leaving, compared to those who did not have a history of aggression. Specifically, those who had experienced aggression in the last year reported more material constraints, such as sharing financial obligations, as well as more perceived constraints, such as believing other suitable partners are not available or experiencing social pressure to stay together. In addition, they tended to have been in their relationships longer and were more likely to be living together and to have a child together than those without a history of aggression. When dedication is low and constraint commitment is high, it should be associated with discomfort and unease for the involved partners (Stanley Markman, 1992); in the current study, this discomfort is evidenced by the finding that those who had experienced aggression in the last year were more likely to report feeling trapped than those who had not. There were fewer differences between those without a history of physical aggression and those who experienced it only in the past but not in the last year. Those who had experienced aggression in the past, but not in the last year, had more barriers to leaving and reported feeling more trapped than those with no history of aggression. These differences tended to be smaller in size than the differences between those who had experienced aggression in the last year and those who had not experienced any aggression in the current relationship. These findings suggest that those who had experienced aggression previously, but not in the past year, may have made gains in terms of relationship safety compared to an earlier period in the relationship. Although not hypothesized, there were also some differences in commitment between those who had experienced aggression in the last year and those who had experi.
