In this study an interactive conceptual model was utilized in an attempt to examine variables which contribute to, and influence, the development of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in battered women. This model considers the individual's response to trauma as being the product of the interaction between factors related to the characteristics of the individual prior to the trauma, the nature and severity of the trauma itself, and factors related to the post-trauma environment. This study examined pre-trauma victim characteristics, individual cognitive styles, and violence related variables. Subjects (N=106) were women who were treated at an outpatient mental health center and who had experienced violence in their current relationship. Subjects completed the Attribution Questionnaire, the Appraisal of Violence Scale, the Structured Intake Interview, and the Derogatis Symptom Checklist 90-Revised. The results indicated that 60% of the subjects were PTSD-positive. These results appear to support the applicability of a PTSD diagnosis for battered women and suggests that these symptoms may be considered a central component of the emotional aftermath experienced subsequent to physical and/or sexual battering, rather than conceptualized as a rare exception to the rule. (ABL)