Aggressive conflict tactics in romantic relationships: Examining the roles of trust and loneliness in a Cypriot sample
- 1Department of Psychology, Neapolis University Pafos, Paphos, Cyprus
Abstract
Purpose: Aggressive conflict tactics in romantic relationships are an increasing concern, highlighting the importance of examining the emotional factors that may be associated with their use in the general population. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of aggressive conflict tactics among Greek-speaking adults in Cyprus and to explore their associations with demographic characteristics, relationship trust, and loneliness. Methods: In this cross-sectional design, 300 Greek-speaking adults residing in Cyprus (63% female; M age = 32.85 years) were recruited through convenience and snowball sampling. Participants completed an online questionnaire comprising the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale, the Trust in Close Interpersonal Relationships Scale, and the UCLA Loneliness Scale to assess aggressive conflict tactics, levels of trust in interpersonal relationships, and loneliness. Results: Findings suggest that (a) aggressive conflict tactics are highly prevalent, with psychological aggression reported by over 85% of participants and nearly 30% reporting physical assault; (b) sexual coercion was the only aggressive conflict tactic consistently associated with demographic variables, including gender, age, and education; (c) lower levels of trust were associated with the perpetration and victimization of physical assault, as well as victimization of sexual coercion and injury; and (d) higher loneliness was associated with sexual coercion perpetration. Conclusions: These findings highlight the importance of emotional factors in understanding the dynamics of aggressive conflict in romantic relationships. Trust and loneliness were associated with the use and experience of aggression, highlighting the need for relationship education programs that promote emotional safety, trust-building, and awareness around consent and communication.
Related
- Loneliness time with particular denominator
- Hanslick's Musical Formalism as a Mathematical Structure - Examining meaning in Music through the Lens of Category Theory
- More (shifted) runners, less loneliness
- A Taxometric Analysis of the Three-Item UCLA Loneliness Scale in the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project
- Questionable prospective effects between shame, loneliness, and non-suicidal self-injury among Chinese adolescents: A reassessment of Chen et al. (2026)
BibTeX
@article{mousoulidou2026aggressive,
title = {{Aggressive conflict tactics in romantic relationships: Examining the roles of trust and loneliness in a Cypriot sample}},
author = {Marilena Mousoulidou and Andri Christodoulou and Anna Maria Palli},
journal = {PLOS One},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0357368},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0357368},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Aggressive conflict tactics in romantic relationships: Examining the roles of trust and loneliness in a Cypriot sample
AU - Marilena Mousoulidou
AU - Andri Christodoulou
AU - Anna Maria Palli
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/23
JO - PLOS One
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0357368
UR - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0357368
AB - Purpose: Aggressive conflict tactics in romantic relationships are an increasing concern, highlighting the importance of examining the emotional factors that may be associated with their use in the general population. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of aggressive conflict tactics among Greek-speaking adults in Cyprus and to explore their associations with demographic characteristics, relationship trust, and loneliness. Methods: In this cross-sectional design, 300 Greek-speaking adults residing in Cyprus (63% female; M age = 32.85 years) were recruited through convenience and snowball sampling. Participants completed an online questionnaire comprising the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale, the Trust in Close Interpersonal Relationships Scale, and the UCLA Loneliness Scale to assess aggressive conflict tactics, levels of trust in interpersonal relationships, and loneliness. Results: Findings suggest that (a) aggressive conflict tactics are highly prevalent, with psychological aggression reported by over 85% of participants and nearly 30% reporting physical assault; (b) sexual coercion was the only aggressive conflict tactic consistently associated with demographic variables, including gender, age, and education; (c) lower levels of trust were associated with the perpetration and victimization of physical assault, as well as victimization of sexual coercion and injury; and (d) higher loneliness was associated with sexual coercion perpetration. Conclusions: These findings highlight the importance of emotional factors in understanding the dynamics of aggressive conflict in romantic relationships. Trust and loneliness were associated with the use and experience of aggression, highlighting the need for relationship education programs that promote emotional safety, trust-building, and awareness around consent and communication.
SN - 1932-6203
ER -