Testing the generality of an internal power theory of interpersonal violence across sex and race/ethnicity

Abstract

Recently, Wagers articulated a theory of internal power to explain intimate partner violence (IPV). Internal power is conceptualized as comprising five domains: self-concept clarity, self-esteem, self-efficacy, self-determination, and mastery. Individuals with high internal power are expected to engage in little to no IPV. The present study tested measurement invariance of the internal power instrument across sex and race/ethnicity using a sample of 749 college students. Tests for measurement invariance indicated partial invariance of the internal power instrument across sex and race/ethnicity. Further, group-based structural equation models revealed several sex- and race/ethnicity-specific differences in the relationships between the five factors of internal power and self-reported IPV perpetration. Implications for Wagers’ internal power theory and similar instruments are discussed.