Prediction of Covert Relational Aggression Based on Early Maladaptive Schemas and Fear of Intimacy in Married Women
Keywords:
aggression, covert relational aggression, early maladaptive schemas, intimacy, fear of intimacyAbstract
Objective: The present study was conducted with the aim of examining the role of early maladaptive schemas and fear of intimacy in the emergence of covert relational aggression in married women.
Methods and Materials: The study design was correlational, and data were collected using both library and field methods through standardized questionnaires. The statistical population consisted of married women residing in Tehran, from which a sample of 350 participants was selected using cluster sampling from districts 22, 1, 7, and 8. Data were analyzed at descriptive and inferential levels using the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, multiple linear regression, and correlation analysis in SPSS version 23.
Findings: The results of multiple regression analysis showed that only fear of intimacy could significantly predict covert relational aggression (β = 0.428, p < 0.001), whereas early maladaptive schemas did not have a significant role in predicting this variable. Moreover, the results of the two subsidiary hypotheses indicated that there was a significant relationship between early maladaptive schemas and covert relational aggression, as well as between fear of intimacy and covert relational aggression. Consequently, fear of intimacy can be considered an influential factor in the occurrence of covert aggression.
Conclusion: It is suggested that psychological interventions aimed at reducing fear of intimacy be incorporated into programs designed to improve the quality of couples’ relationships.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Khadijeh Peyvasteh Hajimahalleh (Author); Mansooreh Fazilati (Corresponding Author)
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