Purpose <p>Intimate partner violence (IPV) is complex and sensitive, making it difficult to study. Subsequently, researchers have employed vignette paradigms in which participants evaluate violent scenarios between fictional couples. Most vignette studies, however, neglect the temporal nature of partner violence. IPV is a dynamic phenomenon that usually occurs across time. In two studies, we use a response escalation paradigm (REP) to assess perceptions of and reactions to escalating acts of partner violence. In Study 1, we assess whether observer characteristics and certain contextual variables affect judgments regarding the justification of violence. In Study 2, we assess how observer characteristics (emotional regulation and impulsivity) effect their responses to partner violence.</p> Methods <p>Both studies were quasi-experimental, between-subjects designs with samples recruited from Prolific. Study 1 had two conditions and 487 participants; Study 2 had four conditions and 827 participants.</p> Results <p>In Study 1, we find a gender configuration effect, such that violence against men is perceived as more justified than violence against women. Similarly, observers view violence against individuals perceived to have engaged in infidelity in the past as more justifiable. In Study 2, we find that observers who have poorer emotional regulation and greater impulsivity tend to choose more destructive responses to a partner’s aggression.</p> Conclusions <p>These findings highlight the importance of understanding how both contextual factors and observers’ personal characteristics shape their perceptions of and responses to IPV as it unfolds across time.</p>