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Uncovering the hierarchical structure of self-reported hostility
Martijn W van Teffelen1, Jill Lobbestael1, Marisol J Voncken1
1Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Limburg, The Netherlands.
Plos One
|September 29, 2020
Summary
This study reveals hostility
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Psychometrics
Background:
- Hostility, anger, and aggression are often conflated.
- Lack of consensus on the multifaceted nature of hostility.
- Need for a clearer understanding of hostility's structure.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the hierarchical structure of hostility.
- To identify distinct components of hostility at various levels of specificity.
- To inform the development of more precise measurement tools for hostility.
Main Methods:
- Principal Components Analyses (PCA) on self-report measures.
- Examination of a sample of 376 individuals (mixed community and highly hostile).
- Analysis across five levels of specificity for hostility.
Main Results:
- Hostility demonstrates a hierarchical structure across five specificity levels.
- Intermediate levels show affective, cognitive, and behavioral components.
- Specific facets include Angry Affect, Hostile Intent, and Verbal, Relational, and Physical Aggression.
Conclusions:
- Hostility is a complex construct with distinct hierarchical facets.
- Findings highlight the need for nuanced measurement tools.
- Reducing conceptual confounding requires separating hostility facets.
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