The dependent variables in this study will be the scope of wife beating and the causal factors that contribute to it. Questions five through nine on the survey address these variables. In order to evaluate perceptions of scope, the author asks participants to estimate the prevalence of domestic violence in the U.S. population. Four options are provided for how many men beat their wives in the aforementioned population: 1/10, 1/50, 1/100 and 1/500. The participant is asked to check one.

The causal factors for domestic violence listed in the survey (questions 6-9) are drug and alcohol use, mental or personality issues, and cultural differences. These factors emerged as the most influential in predicting the prevalence of domestic violence in the reviewed literature. The survey addresses cultural, socioeconomic and behavioral characteristics of relationships that were repeatedly shown to influence the scope of domestic violence (see literature review). The participants are asked to rate the influence of these four causal factors from very influential to not very influential. The hypothesis for the study is that regardless of student background (independent variable), drug and alcohol and mental personality issues (dependent variables) will be rated most influential in causing men to physically abuse their wives.

A further examination will be made to assess the relationship between the approximation of the scope of domestic violence and the ratings on...

In this case, the scope approximation of wife beating will be the independent variable and the ratings on causal factors will be the dependent variable.
Data Analysis:

The data will be analyzed in SPSS after collection of all survey to determine the relationships between student background and estimations of how many men in the U.S. population physically abuse their wives will be made, and predictions of how influential these factors are in causing men to physically abuse their wives. These predictions can then be analyzed in a comparative study with the existing literature.

Appendix A: Survey

1. What is your age?

2. What is your gender?

3. What is your race/ethnicity?

4. What is your major?

Criminal Justice

Other

(please circle one)

If other, please list

5. How many men in the U.S. population would you say physically beat their wives? Please check one: ____ 1 in 10 ____1 in 50 ____1 in 100 ____ 1 in 500.

6. Rate how influential the following factors are in causing men to physically abuse their wives.

Use the following rating scale: Very influential, influential, somewhat influential, not influential for each factor.

Drug and alcohol abuse:

Poverty:

Mental personality issues:

Cultural…