Unveiling the Dual Nature of Aggression: A Network Analysis Approach

The importance of distinguishing between proactive and reactive aggression has been widely debated, yet a comprehensive comparison of their differences remains limited. As such, it is urgent to investigate whether these two forms of aggression represent distinct, separable constructs, each with its own unique influencing factors and functional roles. To address this, we employed network analysis and bridge analysis techniques, utilising self-report measures to investigate this. Our findings confirmed the existence of two separate aggression categories: proactive and reactive aggression. Through community detection analysis of 16 aggression-related variables, we identified three unique communities, corresponding to proactive aggressiveness, reactive aggression, and common influencing factors. This highlighted the diverse psychobiological profiles of proactive and reactive aggression. Furthermore, bridge analysis revealed distinct differences in their functional roles: proactive aggression exhibited a stronger bridge strength, while reactive aggression demonstrated the highest bridge betweenness. These findings highlighted the unique functional profiles of proactive and reactive aggression. Overall, our study provides evidence of the independence of proactive and reactive aggression and offers insights into the distinct influencing factors and functional profiles of each.