Attitude Towards “Honor Killing” Among A Community Sample in Pakistan: The Role of Personality Traits

Abstract

Honor killing persists as a deeply rooted sociocultural issue in Pakistan, shaped by culturally rigid, complex traditions, patriarchal gender norms, and moral beliefs. The current study examined the association of personality traits with attitudes toward honor killing among a community sample in Pakistan. A convenience sample of 600 individuals (304 males, 296 females) with a mean age of 29 years (Range= 18-44 years, S.D= 13) was recruited from various urban and rural areas in Punjab (Pakistan).  The participants completed the Urdu version of the Attitude towards Honor Killing Scale (Affirmation of Honor Killing and Deterrents of Honor Killing Subscales), the Urdu version of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Revised Short-form (Psychoticism, Extraversion, Neuroticism, and Social Desirability Subscales), along with several demographic questions. The results demonstrated that higher scores on Psychoticism and Neuroticism were significantly associated with greater affirmation of honor killing, while higher Extraversion was linked to lower affirmation. Gender differences were also observed; males scored considerably higher on affirmation toward honor killing than females. Regression analysis indicated that Psychoticism, Neuroticism, and Extraversion explained 49 %, 33 %, and 9% of the variance in affirmation towards honor killing. Moreover, people living in rural areas showed higher affirmation towards honor killing scores than people living in urban areas. Findings of this study suggest that personality dimensions and several demographic factors substantially contribute to either the acceptance or disapproval of honor-based violence within specific cultural contexts. The findings highlight the need to incorporate personality-focused assessment and community-driven interventions to address rigid social norms and promote attitudinal transformation towards honor-based violence in Pakistan.