Configuration, not Content: A Network Perspective on Gendered Prototypes of Intimate Partner Violence

Research on perceptions of intimate partner violence (IPV) has primarily focused on heterosexual relationships with male perpetrators and female victims. The oversight of same-sex couples, and relationships with female abusers and male victims, has led to inconsistent findings in the literature. This incoherence might be explained by a lack of theoretical understanding of people’s beliefs and assumptions about IPV. Thus, this study aims to assess the structure of IPV prototypes of different binary victim-perpetrator gender combinations. Using a mixed-methods approach, a US- and UK-based sample (N = 161) gave open-ended responses on what they believe are common assumptions and beliefs about IPV scenarios. A psychometric network modeling approach was used to provide representations of the prototypes of the different IPV scenarios. Specifically, Gaussian graphical models of the responses were constructed, characterizing the correlations between the contents of participants’ responses. The findings show surprisingly strong global similarities between the prototypes, yet strikingly clear local differences in the domains of perpetrator, victim, relationship, and abuse.