The influence of trait empathy on reactive aggression: An ERP study

This study mainly investigated the electrophysiological mechanism underlying the effect of trait empathy on reactive aggression using event-related potentials (ERPs). Firstly, we computed the correlation between trait empathy and trait aggression in 413 male undergraduates. The trait empathy was positively correlated with trait aggression, whereas the perspective taking (cognitive empathy) and the empathic concern (affective empathy) dimensions of trait empathy were negatively correlated with physical aggression. Subsequently, we selected 50 young male undergraduates respectively with high empathy (25) and low empathy (25) to complete a competitive reaction time task (a modified version of the Taylor Aggression Paradigm) against two mock opponents in high and low provocation conditions. The high empathy group selected lower average punishments against their opponents than the low empathy group. In the decision phase, high provocation elicited an enlarged ERP negativity compared to low provocation in the high empathy group. This observation was absent in the low empathy group. In the outcome phase, a feedback related negativity was observed in both groups. The low empathy group, but not the high empathy group, showed a significant average amplitude difference for losing and winning trials. The lack of a difference in ERP negativity amplitude in high empathy group suggests that punishing and being punished by opponents have a similar negative valence for this group.