Recently completed research:

• A phrase-completion version of the Hypermasculinity Intex.

  Much research on racism, homophobia, misogyny, and other negative attitudes involves asking questions with obviously "politically correct" answers, While there are many strategies for reducing the threat of socially desirable responding, none are particularly effective. In this paper we explore the impact of using a new, phrase-completion response format to reduce socially desirable responding and to increase the quality of the data. 

  • Phrase-Completion article, Social Work Research
  • Phrase-Completion version of the Hypermasculinity Index
    
    
• The domestic violence myth acceptance scale: Development and psychometric testing of a new instrument
  • (Article on the instrument, currently in press with the Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment, & Truama.)
  • (Executive Summary of the dissertation research, Adobe Acrobat, pdf)
  • (Entire dissertation, Adobe Acrobat .pdf )
    
    Despite the importance of Burt's 1980 measure of rape myths, no comprable measure of domestic violence myths had been developed. I therefore undertook the development and testing of an instrumet to measure domestic violence myths based on a feminist analysis of domestic violence. The instrument had excellent reliability and showed good initial indications of numerous types of validity.
    
    You may freely copy and use the instrument in research, program evaluation, or education.  No permission is needed but if your Human Subjects Board or research committee requires it, you may copy and paste this paragraph in which I herebye give permission to use the DVMAS in research, evaluation, or education programs.  Jay Peters, PhD. 
    
    
• Domestic Violence Myth Acceptance Scale (MS Word .doc version)
• Domestic Violence Myth Acceptance Scale (Adobe Acrobat .pdf version)

• Using Evolutionary Psychology to Refine a Feminist Theory of  Domestic Violence (Abstract, MS Word) (Abstract, Adobe Acrobat)
  
  Used a large New York City data set of arrests for domestic violence to explore an evolutionary psychological hypothesis that domestic violence is motivated not by some generalized desire to control women but rather to control their sexuality. Examining the age of the victim and the relative age of the perpetrator provided support for the hypothesis.
  Citation: Peters, J., Shackelford, T. K. & Buss, D. M. (2001). Understanding domestic violence against women: Using Evolutionary psychology to extend the feminist functional analysis. Violence and Victims, 17(2), 255-264.

Some research underway or in the early planning stages: 

• Content analysis of an account of 10 years of psychotherapy by Barbara Hope  
• Protection From Abuse Orders: What Impact Do They Have on Batterers and Battered Women?
• The Impact of Domestic Violence Murder on Women in the Community.
• Vicarious trauma among child welfare workers
• Non-response bias in mail surveys: How is it addressed in practice and education.
• Making PIE: The Effects of Using the PIE (Person-in-the-Environment) Manual on Worker's Perceptions of their Clients