Walker reported on a survey called the “Attitudes Toward Women Scale (AWS), which included a standardized test (Levenson’s 1972
locus of control scale). This test measured the degree the subject viewed control of their lives as “internal” (they have ability and competence to control circumstances in their lives) and “external” (people and situations have more control over the events of their lives). Contrary to expectation, battered women scored high on the internal scale. Walker hypothesized that this was due to a high percentage of battered women’s attempts to “
avoid getting the batterer angry” by manipulating domestic routines, an attempt reinforced by a common belief (40%) of these women that they sometimes
could control the batterer’s behavior. The corresponding low score on the external scale was explained by the hypothesis that acknowledging the power of the batterer in her life would also mean acknowledging an ultimate inability to change the batterer and/or her environment. (n1) Further, battered women generally have a strong self-esteem, perhaps coming from coping with difficult circumstances, but are also at high-risk for depression. This risk for depression continues beyond the violent relationship and is most likely related to trauma recovery. (Walker 2000)
Finally, culture and psychology intersect in cases of violence in the home. For example, the AWS also studied perceptions of “the rights and roles of women” by women, parents, batterers and non-batterers. Factors that were considered in the survey population included gender, age, and education. Of significance was the finding that, while batterers and the fathers of battered women held traditional views on gender roles, battered women actually held more liberal views on gender roles. (Walker 2000)
***Notes
1) “The reality is that he does have control-by keeping her in fear of receiving another beating if she doesn't prevent him from getting angry.” (Walker 2000)
