The relationship between early maladaptive schemas and attitudes towards intimate partner violence in university students

The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between the attitudes towards intimate partner violence and early maladaptive schemas in university students. For this aim, data was collected by 303 participants whose ages ranged from 18 to 26. Demographic Information Form, Intimate Partner Violence Attitude Scale – Revised (IPVAS – R) and Young Schema Questionnaire Short Form-3 (YSQ-SF3) were performed to the participants. According to the results of the correlation analysis, the domains of impaired autonomy, disconnection, unrelenting standards are positively correlated with the attitudes towards intimate partner violence. However, there are no significant relationships between the domains of impaired limits and other-directedness. According to the regression analysis, the model established to determine the effects of abandonment, emotional deprivation, defectiveness, social isolation, dependency, failure, vulnerability to harm, approval seeking, pessimism, emotional inhibition and unrelenting standards schemas on attitudes towards intimate partner violence explains 11% of the variance. It was found that the abandonment schema in women and both abandonment and unrelenting standards schemas in men independently predicted the acceptance of intimate partner violence. The findings were discussed within the framework of the literature and suggestions were given.