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Aggression, and some related psychological constructs (anger, hostility, and impulsivity); some comments from a
1Institute for Biofunctional Studies, Universidad Complutense Madrid, Spain. mrmairez@med.ucm.es
Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews
|August 6, 2005
Summary
Human aggression, specifically hostile aggression, is linked to anger and impulsivity. Instrumental aggression, however, shows no such correlation, highlighting distinct psychological underpinnings for different aggression types.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Personality Psychology
Background:
- Human aggression is a complex behavior with various theoretical classifications.
- Understanding the interplay between aggression and other psychological constructs is crucial for psychological research.
- Existing literature often categorizes aggression into two main types: hostile and instrumental.
Purpose of the Study:
- To theoretically define human aggression and its primary types.
- To empirically investigate the relationships between hostile and instrumental aggression and psychological constructs like anger, hostility, and impulsivity.
- To present findings from ongoing research on aggression and related traits.
Main Methods:
- Utilized self-report questionnaires including the Aggression Questionnaire (AQ), the Conflict Tactics Scales (CAMA), the Anger Self-Report Questionnaire (ASQ), and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS).
- Compared various self-report techniques to assess correlations between different aggression types and psychological constructs.
- Defined hostile aggression as primarily oriented to hurt, and instrumental aggression as a means to an objective.
Main Results:
- A positive correlation was found between the experience and expression of anger, with anger preparing individuals for aggression.
- Anger and impulsivity were positively correlated with hostile aggression but not with instrumental aggression.
- Non-planning impulsivity specifically correlated with hostile aggression scenarios, while hostility positively correlated with anger and aggression but not its justification.
Conclusions:
- Aggression, particularly hostile aggression, is significantly associated with anger and impulsivity.
- Instrumental aggression appears to be psychologically distinct from hostile aggression, with different correlational patterns.
- Self-report measures effectively capture the reflection of aggression within various personality constructs.