Project Summary: Battered Woman Syndrome Behavioral Category Cognitive and Social Psychology. The psychological area would be cognitive psychology. Many domestic violence victims have cognitive distortions such as blaming themselves. Theory Social Cognitive Theory describes the influence of individual experiences and how beliefs and judgements as social beings determine whether or not their actions will change. Research Question Are women in abusive relationships more likely to suffer from psychological behaviors? Hypothesis Women in abusive relationships are more likely to suffer from low self esteem, anxiety, and depression than women who are not in abusive relationships.