Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 18, 2025

The Resident-intruder Paradigm: A Standardized Test for Aggression, Violence and Social Stress
Published on: July 4, 2013
Assessment of hostile intent attributions across escalating conflict stories
Stephanie A Godleski1, Dianna Murray-Close2
1Psychology Department, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York, USA.
Abstract:
Previous research suggests the importance of intent attributions in the development and maintenance of aggressive behavior. The primary purpose of the current study was to develop a measure assessing increases in attributions of hostility in response to escalating social conflict scenarios that were relational and instrumental in nature and to determine whether hostility trajectories were associated with relevant social experiences and behavior. A sample of primarily emerging adults (n = 750; M age = 19.97, SD = 3.60; 49.4% women, 48.3% men, 2.3% nonbinary or transgender; 69.9% Caucasian) responded to surveys regarding social behavior, peer victimization, and reports of hostile attribution biases in addition to the developed measure. Findings indicated that individuals adjusted their intent attributions across the conflict escalation stories, as reflected in linear increases in hostility ratings. Hostile attribution trajectories were also related to hostile attribution biases, peer victimization, and social behavior, including physical and relational aggression and prosocial behavior.
Related Concept Videos
Aggression
Fundamental Attribution Error
Attribution Theory
Robbers Cave
Secondary Motives: Affiliation Motivation and Aggression Motivation
Stereotype Content Model

