The personality of pursuit: personality attributions of unwanted pursuers and stalkers

Violence Vict. 2007;22(3):275-89. doi: 10.1891/088667007780842838.

Abstract

A sample of 292 college students recalled a partner who had engaged in unwanted pursuit (46%) or recalled their most recent "normal" dating relationship. Subjects rated their own level of stalking victimization and rated the partner on a series of personality characteristics and social competence. Unwanted pursuers were perceived as less socially competent, more histrionic, more borderline, and less obsessive-compulsive, with discrimination of "normals" from unwanted pursuers of approximately 75% to 80% accuracy. These attributions also significantly predicted a continuous measure of unwanted pursuit victimization (R = .406). Implications for developing more precise and practical risk profiles of unwanted pursuers are discussed.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • California
  • Courtship
  • Crime Victims / psychology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Interpersonal Relations*
  • Logistic Models
  • Male
  • Obsessive Behavior / psychology*
  • Personality Assessment
  • Self Concept*
  • Students / psychology
  • Surveys and Questionnaires