University of Twente Student Theses
Coercive Control in intimate relationships: A cross-cultural study of Perceptions and Blame Attribution
Monroy Huas, Claudia Maria (2025) Coercive Control in intimate relationships: A cross-cultural study of Perceptions and Blame Attribution.
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| Abstract: | Coercive control is a form of intimate partner violence where, in an intimate relationship, one of the partners shows patterns of oppressive behavior that seeks to control, manipulate, isolate, degrade and intimidate the other. This study aims to investigate the different perceptions on Severity of Abuse, Acceptance and Blame Attribution for coercive control of individuals belonging to two different countries and cultures, namely the Netherlands (dignity culture) and Guatemala (honor culture). Different nationalities and cultural norms can lead to different perceptions. For instance, dignity cultures focus on the value of the individual and its autonomy, while honor cultures focus on maintaining social respect with more rigid roles. Such cultures are very different in the way they deal with conflict and might thus appraise coercive control differently. For this study, participants evaluated a case of a heteronormative relationship in which one of the partners demonstrated coercive control behavior. Participants were randomly assigned to a case with either a female victim or a male victim without any further changes to the contents of the case. Participants were also asked about their Gender Role Beliefs, Perceived Dignity Cultural Norms and Perceived Honor Cultural Norms through different scales. This study concluded that male victims were comparatively blamed more while their victimhood was also deemed less severe and more accepted compared to a female victim. Additionally, Dutch individuals blamed victims more compared to Guatemalans and showed more acceptance of coercive control. All tested moderators also appeared to have a significant effect on at least one of the investigated perceptions. The results of this study address culture and its impact on how people appraise cases of abuse. This perspective is key to get a more overarching approach that can improve legislation and the design of preventive measures, such as a holistic training for authorities and more targeted educational programs that challenge traditional gender stereotypes. Moreover, it highlights the need of awareness of societal biases to provide the necessary support and interventions for victims of any type of IPV regardless of their gender. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Master) |
| Faculty: | BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences |
| Subject: | 77 psychology |
| Programme: | Psychology MSc (66604) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/106225 |
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