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Do attachment patterns predict aggression in a context of social rejection? An executive functioning account
Yuanxiao Ma1,2, Haijing Ma3, Xu Chen1,2
1Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University (SWU), Chongqing, China.
Aggressive Behavior
|February 8, 2017
Summary
Attachment patterns influence aggression after social rejection. Anxious attachment increases provoked aggression due to depleted executive functioning, supporting the General Aggression Model.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Aggression often follows social rejection and punishment.
- Attachment patterns may modulate aggressive responses.
- Executive functioning is a potential mediator in this relationship.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how attachment styles affect provoked aggression after social rejection.
- To explore the role of executive functioning in mediating this effect, using the General Aggression Model.
- To understand the link between attachment, executive function, and aggression in social contexts.
Main Methods:
- Participants' attachment styles were assessed using the Experiences in Close Relationships inventory.
- Experiments involved social rejection tasks and measurements of provoked and unprovoked aggression.
- The Stroop task was employed to assess executive functioning depletion post-rejection or punishment.
Main Results:
- Anxiously attached individuals showed significantly higher provoked aggression compared to securely and avoidantly attached individuals.
- Anxious attachment was associated with greater executive functioning depletion after social rejection and aggression.
- Findings support the General Aggression Model's framework for understanding aggression.
Conclusions:
- Attachment patterns play a crucial role in modulating provoked aggression, especially following social rejection.
- Executive functioning depletion mediates the relationship between anxious attachment and increased aggression.
- Understanding attachment's role is key to addressing aggressive behavior in unfair social situations.
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