Breaking the Cycle – Neil Jacobson, John Gottman

The book is based on a groundbreaking, multi-year clinical study monitoring couples experiencing domestic conflict. The authors identify two distinct behavioral types of domestic abusers based on physiological and psychological reactions during arguments:

• “Cobras”: Aggressors who become internally calm during heated arguments, experienced as a drop in heart rate. They tend to be calculated, antisocial, and emotionally detached. 
• “Pit Bulls”: Aggressors whose heart rates accelerate as arguments build. Their anger escalates gradually, and they display extreme, paranoid attachment to their partners.