The testosterone/cortisol ratio moderates the proneness to anger expression in antisocial and borderline intimate partner violence perpetrators

Abstract

Several studies have provided evidence that antisocial, borderline and narcissistic personality traits of intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrators significantly increase proneness to violence. In addition, an imbalance between testosterone (T) and cortisol (C) levels has been observed in this population, making individuals prone to violence. We aimed to establish whether IPV perpetrators differ in personality traits, T/C ratio and anger expression from controls, and also to examine the moderating role of the T/C ratio in the relationship between personality traits and anger expression. The sample consisted of 16 IPV perpetrators and 20 controls. T/C ratio was obtained as the quotient between salivary T and C levels. Anger expression and personality traits were measured with STAXI-2 and MCMI-III, respectively. Our results indicate that IPV perpetrators have higher antisocial, borderline and narcissistic personality traits and anger expression than controls. Nonetheless, they did not differ in basal T/C ratio. Finally, only in IPV perpetrators there was a positive relationship between these variables, the T/C ratio playing a moderating role in the relationship of antisocial and borderline traits with anger expression. In IPV perpetrators the T/C ratio may explain why certain personality traits are associated with high risk of becoming violent.

Keywords:

• Anger expression
• antisocial
• borderline
• intimate partner violence
• narcissistic
• testosterone/cortisol ratio

Funding

This work was supported by the Committee for Business, Research and Science of the Regional Government of Valencia trainee researcher programme and research groups and networks of excellence [grant number ISIC/201,PROMETEO/2011/048, VALi+d, APOSTD/2015/090]; Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness [grant number PSI2011-25434]; National Drug Plan of the Spanish Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality [grant number 2012/001].

Disclosure statement

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship and/or publication of this article.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Committee for Business, Research and Science of the Regional Government of Valencia trainee researcher programme and research groups and networks of excellence [grant number ISIC/201,PROMETEO/2011/048, VALi+d, ACIF/2011/075]; Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness [grant number PSI2011-25434]; National Drug Plan of the Spanish Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality [grant number 2012/001].