Abstract
The study investigated personality traits and attachment styles as correlates of domestic abuse among married women in Rivers State. Three objectives of the study, research questions and hypotheses guided the study. The study adopted a correlational research design. The population of the study comprised the entire 645,641 married women in Rivers State. A sample size of 430 married women was drawn from the population using the stratified random sampling technique. Two researcher developed rating scales titled: “Personality Traits and Attachment Styles Scale" (PTASS) and "Domestic Abuse Scale” (DAS) were used for data collection. The instruments were validated by the researcher's supervisor and two other experts in the Guidance and Counselling Department of Rivers State University, Port Harcourt. The reliability coefficients of the instruments was determined through the test re-test method which yielded a reliability coefficient of r=0.81 for Personality Traits and Attachment Styles Scale and r=.83 for Domestic Abuse Scale. The research questions and hypotheses were answered and tested using Pearson's product moment correlation. The findings of the study revealed that neuroticism, psychoticism and disorganized have significant high positive relationship with domestic abuse among married women in Rivers State. Based on the findings of the study, the researcher recommends that: extraverted married women should maintain decorum in their dealings with other members of the opposite sex to avoid stirring up jealousy and married women that have neurotic personality traits should try to harness the four skills of anger management.