The object of my intoxication: Examining the role of dehumanization, objectification, and alcohol consumption in intimate partner aggression perpetration

This study investigated dehumanization of one’s intimate partner and alcohol consumption as predictors of intimate partner aggression (IPA). We integrated theories of dehumanization, alcohol, and intimate partner violence to examine relational-level influences on perpetration of IPA, and conducted an initial test of a novel framework explaining IPA risk in a large college sample of coupled individuals. We robustly assessed partner dehumanization (i.e., mechanistic and animalistic dehumanization, dehumanizing deindividuation, and sexual objectification), alcohol consumption quantity and frequency, the likelihood of enacting physical and psychological IPA as well as the amount of IPA when it was enacted, and a range of other risk factors for IPA. Results revealed that a comprehensive latent variable of dehumanization and alcohol use were additive risk factors for physical abuse, and at least moderate levels of drinking (i.e., 3-4 drinks per typical drinking day) might be necessary for dehumanization to escalate into physical IPA. In contrast, psychological IPA was directly predicted by dehumanization alone, at all levels of alcohol use. These findings held while controlling other established risk factors for IPA including global relationship discord. The results underscore the potential for early interventions that target dehumanizing and objectifying perceptions of intimate partners and drinking behaviors. Building on these preliminary findings, future research should further examine these dynamics in more diverse populations, using longitudinal and/or experimental designs to infer causality.