The Role of Trait Mindfulness, Perceived Stress, and Impulsivity in Understanding the Relationship between Stress Mindset and Psychological Intimate Partner Aggression

Perpetration of psychological intimate partner aggression is a pervasive health issue and has been estimated to occur in 60 to 90 percent of relationships. Effects of intimate partner violence on its victims has been demonstrated to have lasting physical and mental health issues. Psychological intimate partner aggression has been demonstrated to have particularly harmful effects, above and beyond those identified in physical intimate partner aggression. Psychological intimate partner aggression has been demonstrated to be impacted by impulsivity, stress-mindset, perceived stress, and mindfulness. The present study proposed to examine a path analysis model of the relation between stress-mindset and psychological intimate partner aggression, utilizing perceived stress and impulsivity as mediating variables. Further, the present study examined a potential moderating variable in trait mindfulness on the relation between stress-mindset and perceived stress. Participants were recruited from across the United States, using ads presented on a social media website and they were not compensated for their participation. Individuals 18 years and older responded to ads titled “Mindfulness in Romantic Relationships”. Individuals were asked to complete self-report questionnaires assessing key variables. We hypothesized that perceived stress and the negative urgency facet of impulsivity would mediate the relation between stress-mindset and psychological intimate partner violence. Data on other types of intimate partner violence was not collected. Additionally, we hypothesized that the relation between stress-mindset and perceived stress would be moderated by trait mindfulness, such that individuals with low trait mindfulness, stress-mindset will be more likely to contribute to psychological intimate partner aggression, via perceived stress and impulsivity. Results indicated that both perceived stress and negative urgency in series mediated the relation between stress mindset and PIPA. However, results did not implicate mindfulness as a significant moderator at any point in the double mediation model described previously. Implications for clinical intervention and future research are discussed.