PATRIARCHAL IDEOLOGY AND WIFE ASSAULT - A METAANALYTIC REVIEW

Using the framework of patriarchal theory, the present meta-analytic r eview examined the predicted relation between wife assault and the mai ntenance of a patriarchal ideology. This relationship was evaluated us ing three measures of patriarchal ideology: (1) attitudes toward viole nce, (2) gender attitudes, and (3) gender schemas. Overall, assaultive husbands reported more positive attitudes toward marital violence and lower scores on masculine and feminine gender schema scales than nona ssaultive husbands. Methodological factors accounted for the significa nt heterogeneity among the gender attitude effect estimates for men. A nonsignificant average effect in the males' gender attitude emerged i n studies which used husbands' self-report data and case-control compa rison groups. In contrast to men, assaulted wives held more feminine g ender schema and tended to exhibit more liberal gender attitudes than nonassaulted wives across studies. These meta-analytic findings offer limited support for the ideological component of the patriarchal theor y of wife assault and are discussed with respect to their theoretical and methodological implications.