The participants were 117 wives and 109 husbands, who reported an episode of serious physical aggression during a structured interview that was conducted at 1 year of marriage. Results revealed that husbands' attributions were influenced by both severity and alcohol use. In particular, sober husbands tended to blame their wives for severe aggression, whereas, unexpectedly, drinking husbands tended to assume responsibility for severe aggression. In contrast, wives' attributions were influenced mainly by the severity of the abuse. Wives held husbands' behavior more responsible than their own behavior for severe aggression and held husbands' character much more responsible than their own character. Findings indicate the need to consider attributions for marital aggression as a complex process. Figures and 24 references (Author abstract modified)