Marie-Ève Daspe

Curvilinear associations between neuroticism and dyadic adjustment in treatment-seeking couples.

Among personality traits, neuroticism has been shown to be the most significant predictor of dyadic adjustment. Despite some propositions arguing that low, as well as high levels of personality traits are maladaptive tendencies, only the negative linear relationship between neuroticism and couple satisfaction has been addressed in past research. The aim of this study was to examine the nonlinear association between neuroticism and dyadic adjustment for both partners of a clinically distressed sample of couples. The sample included 472 couples seeking couple therapy who completed the NEO-FFI (P. T. Costa & R. R. McCrae, 1992, NEO PI-R professional manual, Odessa, FL, Psychological Assessment Resources) and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (G. B. Spanier, 1976, Measuring dyadic adjustment: New scales for assessing the quality of marriage and similar dyads, Journal of Marriage and the Family, 38, pp. 15-28). Results showed, for actor and partner effects, a significant nonlinear, inverted U-shaped relationship between neuroticism and dyadic adjustment. In particular, both very low levels and high levels of neuroticism were associated with lower dyadic adjustment for both the individual and his or her partner. This finding is in contrast with the traditional negative linear association between neuroticism and dyadic adjustment observed in previous research. Openness and agreeableness also positively predicted self and partner dyadic adjustment. Findings bear important clinical implications for therapists assessing and working with distressed couples.

Cumulative Childhood Trauma and Adult Sexual Satisfaction: Mediation by Affect Dysregulation and Sexual Anxiety in Men and Women

Childhood cumulative trauma (CCT) refers to an amalgam of childhood maltreatment experiences that can lead to a range of symptoms and problems in adulthood. The current study examined an integrative model of CCT for its relevance to psychosexual adjustment in adult survivors. A total of 620 participants aged 18 years and over completed a questionnaire assessing early life experiences, affect dysregulation, sexual anxiety, and sexual satisfaction. Path analyses confirmed the hypothesis that CCT is associated with affect dysregulation and sexual anxiety that, in turn, predict lower levels of sexual satisfaction. The validity of this mediational model was demonstrated for different operationalizations of CCT. The results suggested that sex therapists, who are likely to encounter CCT survivors in their practice, should consider targeting affect dysregulation in their efforts to decrease sexual anxiety and increase sexual satisfaction.

Gender as a predictor of posttraumatic stress symptoms and externalizing behavior problems in sexually abused children

Despite the proliferation of studies documenting outcomes in sexually abused victims, gender differences remain understudied. The bulk of studies have relied on retrospective samples of adults with insufficient representation of male victims to explore gender specificities. This study examined differential outcomes among boy and girl victims of sexual abuse. A predictive model of outcomes including abuse characteristics and sense of guilt as mediators was proposed. Path analysis was conducted with a sample of 447 sexually abused children (319 girls and 128 boys), aged 6-12. Being a girl was a predictor of posttraumatic stress symptoms, while being a boy was a predictor of externalizing problems. Being a boy was also associated with more severe abuse, which in turn predicted posttraumatic stress symptoms. Childs gender was not related to perpetrators relationship to the child or sense of guilt. However, sense of guilt predicted posttraumatic stress symptoms and externalizing problems while perpetrators relationship to the child predicted externalizing problems. Gender specificities should be further studied among sexually abused children, as boys and girls appear to manifest different outcomes. Sense of guilt should be a target in intervention for sexually abused children, as results highlight its link to heightened negative outcomes.

Neuroticism and Men’s Sexual Coercion as Reported by Both Partners in a Community Sample of Couples

Compared with other forms of intimate partner violence, very little is known about sexual coercion (SC) and its correlates in intact couples from the general population. Among potential dispositional risk factors for SC, neuroticism has been related to various aspects of couple functioning, including psychological and physical partner abuse. Based on theoretical and empirical evidence, we suggest the existence of two maladaptive profiles on the neuroticism dimension and examine the curvilinear association between neuroticism and men’s SC. A total of 299 adult couples completed measures of neuroticism and SC perpetrated by the male partner. Descriptive analyses indicated that SC translated mainly into insistence or partner pressure to engage the other in unwanted sexual activities. Results confirmed the hypothesis that both lower and higher levels of men’s neuroticism predict higher levels of men’s perpetrated SC, while low to moderate levels of neuroticism predict lower levels of men’s SC. These findings contribute to the empirical literature on SC in community samples of couples and bear significant clinical implications for the evaluation and treatment of couples experiencing these negative sexual experiences.

Identity and relatedness as mediators between child emotional abuse and adult couple adjustment in women

The empirical literature indicates that childhood emotional abuse (CEA) produces long lasting impairments in interpersonal relatedness and identity, often referred to as self-capacities. CEA has also been shown to negatively impact couple functioning. This study examined the role of identity and interpersonal conflicts in mediating the relationship between CEA and womens report of couple adjustment among 184 French Canadian women from the general population. Path analysis revealed that CEA was related to poorer couple adjustment through its impact on dysfunctional self-capacities and the experience of greater conflicts in relationships. Findings highlight the importance of assessing CEA to better explain couple adjustment in women with relationship difficulties and provide potential intervention targets based on the self-capacities framework.

Early exposure to violence, relationship violence, and relationship satisfaction in adolescents and emerging adults: The role of romantic attachment.

Objective: Violence in romantic relationships is highly prevalent in adolescence and early adulthood and is related to a wide array of negative outcomes. Although the scientific literature increasingly highlights potential risk factors for the perpetration of violence toward a romantic partner, integrative models of these predictors remain scarce. Using an attachment framework, the current study examines the associations between early exposure to violence, perpetration of relationship violence, and relationship satisfaction. We hypothesized that exposure to family violence fosters the development of attachment anxiety and avoidance, which in turn are related to relationship violence and low relationship satisfaction. Method: At Time 1, a sample of 1,252 (72.3% women) adolescents and emerging adults were recruited from high schools and colleges. Participants completed measures of exposure to family violence, attachment, perpetrated relationship violence and relationship adjustment. Three years later (Time 2), 234 of these participants agreed to participate in a follow-up assessment. Structural equation modeling was used to test cross-sectional and longitudinal models. Results: The findings suggest that exposure to family violence predicts relationship violence both directly and indirectly through attachment anxiety, whereas attachment avoidance and relationship violence are predictors of relationship satisfaction. Longitudinal analyses also show that changes in romantic attachment are associated with changes in relationship violence and satisfaction. Conclusions: Romantic attachment is a significant target for the prevention and treatment of violence in intimate relationships involving adolescents or emerging adults.

A Meta-Analysis of Risk and Protective Factors for Dating Violence Victimization: The Role of Family and Peer Interpersonal Context:

Dating violence (DV) is a widespread social issue that has numerous deleterious repercussions on youths’ health. Family and peer risk factors for DV have been widely studied, but with inconsistent methodologies, which complicates global comprehension of the phenomenon. Protective factors, although understudied, constitutes a promising line of research for prevention. To date, there is no comprehensive quantitative review attempting to summarize knowledge on both family and peer factors that increase or decrease the risk for adolescents and emerging adults DV victimization. The current meta-analysis draws on 87 studies with a total sample of 278,712 adolescents and young adults to examine effect sizes of the association between various family and peer correlates of DV victimization. Results suggest small, significant effect sizes for all the family (various forms of child maltreatment, parental support, and parental monitoring) and peer factors (peer victimization, sexual harassment, affiliation with deviant peers, and supportive/prosocial peers) in the prediction of DV. With few exceptions, forms of DV (psychological, physical, and sexual), gender, and age did not moderate the strength of these associations. In addition, no difference was found between the magnitude of family and peer factors’ effect sizes, suggesting that these determinants are equally important in predicting DV. The current results provide future directions for examining relations between risk and protective factors for DV and indicate that both peers and family should be part of the development of efficient prevention options.

An analysis of avoidant and approach coping as mediators of the relationship between paternal and maternal attachment security and outcomes in child victims of sexual abuse.

Objective: Prior studies have documented the potential role of nonoffending parent support in promoting recovery of adult survivors following sexual abuse (SA). However, few studies have distinguished the maternal and paternal role and the mechanisms by which quality of the parent-child relationship might foster more positive outcomes in child victims. The purpose of this study was to examine coping strategies as mediators of the link between mother-child and father-child relationship and outcomes following child SA. Method: A sample of 505 children (339 girls and 166 boys) ages 6–13 years completed measures evaluating perceived attachment security to mother and father (Kerns Security Scale; Kerns, Klepac, & Cole, 1996), as well as coping strategies related to the SA experienced (Self-Reported Coping Scale; Causey & Dubow, 1992). Outcomes evaluated were posttraumatic stress symptoms (PSS; Children’s Impact of Traumatic Events Scale—II [CITES-II]; Wolfe, 2002) and self-esteem (Harter, 1985). Results: Results indicated that, in girls, both attachment security to the mother and to the father are associated with lower PSS symptoms and higher self-esteem through a lesser use of avoidant coping. Avoidance coping mediated the link between attachment security to the mother and outcomes in boys. In addition, security in the relationship with the same-sex parent was associated with approach coping, which in turn was associated with both outcomes for girls and with PSS for boys. Conclusion: Findings highlight the importance of involving both parents in interventions for sexually abused children as mothers and fathers appear to play different, yet complementary roles in sustaining children’s recovery.

When Pornography Use Feels Out of Control: The Moderation Effect of Relationship and Sexual Satisfaction

ABSTRACT There is an understudied, meaningful distinction between high frequency of pornography use and the subjective feeling that this behavior is out of control. We examined whether the quality of a couples relationship and sex life can strengthen or weaken the association between frequency of Internet pornography use and perceived lack of control over this behavior. In a sample of 1,036 participants, results showed that frequency of pornography use was more strongly associated with feeling out of control when relationship and sexual satisfaction were lower. Findings suggest that couple dissatisfaction puts the individual at risk of reporting out-of-control pornography use.

Childhood maltreatment, attachment, and borderline personality–related symptoms: Gender-specific structural equation models.

Objectives: Survivors of early interpersonal trauma may experience relational problems, anger, impulsive and self-destructive behaviors, identity disturbance, and other difficulties that are associated with borderline personality disorder. Insecure attachment also has been documented in survivors and may be related to borderline personality–related symptoms (BPRS). The goal of the current study was to examine an integrative model of maternal and paternal childhood maltreatment and insecure attachment as they predict BPRS. Method: The sample was composed of 954 participants who completed self-report measures of parental maltreatment during childhood, attachment security, and trauma-related symptoms. Results: Structural equation modeling suggested differential impacts of maternal and paternal maltreatment on male and female participants. Both maternal and paternal maltreatment were directly associated with BPRS in women, whereas in men, only paternal maltreatment was directly related to BPRS. In women, paternal maltreatment was indirectly associated with BPRS through attachment anxiety but not through attachment avoidance. In men, maternal maltreatment was indirectly associated with BPRS through attachment anxiety but not through attachment avoidance. Conclusion: These findings have implications for the understanding of gender-specific etiologies of borderline personality symptoms and underscore attachment security as an important intervention target.