Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Aggression

Aggression

Humans engage in aggression when they seek to cause harm or pain to another person. Aggression takes two forms depending on one’s motives: hostile or instrumental. Hostile aggression is motivated by feelings of anger with intent to cause pain; a fight in a bar with a stranger is an example of hostile aggression. In contrast, instrumental aggression is motivated by achieving a goal and does not necessarily involve intent to cause pain (Berkowitz, 1993); a contract killer who murders for...

Causes of Social Behavior III: Biological and Environmental Influences

Causes of Social Behavior III: Biological and Environmental Influences

Social behavior is a complex phenomenon that arises from the interaction between biological predispositions and environmental influences. This intricate interplay shapes how individuals think, feel, and act in various social contexts. Understanding these mechanisms requires insights from psychology, neuroscience, genetics, and evolutionary theory.Environmental Influences on Social BehaviorEnvironmental factors, including temperature, odors, and visual stimuli, play a crucial role in shaping...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

"It Was Like They'd Lit a Fuse": A Mixed-Methods Investigation Into Rage.

Aggressive behavior·2026

Same author

Subliminal facial primes bias emotion judgments during naturalistic videos in major depressive disorder.

Cortex; a journal devoted to the study of the nervous system and behavior·2026

Same author

Investigating links between co-rumination and personality, social functioning, and emotional well-being in a representative sample of adults.

PloS one·2026

Same author

Challenging the prescientific frameworks of criminal justice: neurobiology and criminolytic interventions in the legalome era.

Frontiers in psychology·2026

Same author

Examining aggressive behavior in patients with epilepsy under treatment with Levetiracetam, Brivaracetam and Perampanel: a comparison to healthy controls.

Frontiers in behavioral neuroscience·2026

Same author

From female to female: Communication via chemosignals.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026

Same journal

The decolonization of museums.

Current opinion in psychology·2026

Same journal

Contemporary antisemitism: Implications for cognitive behavioral therapy.

Current opinion in psychology·2026

Same journal

On the politicization and polarization of psychology: What psychologists can learn from psychologists.

Current opinion in psychology·2026

Same journal

An intergroup perspective on evolutionary scepticism.

Current opinion in psychology·2026

Same journal

Research on microaggressions and their impact assesses neither microaggressions nor their impact.

Current opinion in psychology·2026

Same journal

Racism in the science and practice of psychotherapy.

Current opinion in psychology·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 9, 2026

Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation of the Posterior Medial Frontal Cortex to Experimentally Reduce Ideological Threat Responses

Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation of the Posterior Medial Frontal Cortex to Experimentally Reduce Ideological Threat Responses

Published on: September 28, 2018

The brain and aggression: Interventions for reducing interpersonal reactive aggression.

Thomas F Denson¹, Robert James Blair², Lisa Wagels³

¹School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.

Current Opinion in Psychology

|November 30, 2025

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

This study reviews neurocognitive models of aggression and evaluates four treatments: mindfulness, cognitive-behavioral therapies, omega-3s, and SSRIs. These interventions show promise in reducing aggression by improving emotion regulation and response inhibition.

Keywords:

Aggression Brain Treatment

More Related Videos

Assessing Dominant-Submissive Behavior in Adult Rats Following Traumatic Brain Injury

Assessing Dominant-Submissive Behavior in Adult Rats Following Traumatic Brain Injury

Published on: December 16, 2022

Triggering Reactive Gliosis In Vivo by a Forebrain Stab Injury

Triggering Reactive Gliosis In Vivo by a Forebrain Stab Injury

Published on: June 29, 2015

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jan 9, 2026

Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation of the Posterior Medial Frontal Cortex to Experimentally Reduce Ideological Threat Responses

Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation of the Posterior Medial Frontal Cortex to Experimentally Reduce Ideological Threat Responses

Published on: September 28, 2018

Assessing Dominant-Submissive Behavior in Adult Rats Following Traumatic Brain Injury

Assessing Dominant-Submissive Behavior in Adult Rats Following Traumatic Brain Injury

Published on: December 16, 2022

Triggering Reactive Gliosis In Vivo by a Forebrain Stab Injury

Triggering Reactive Gliosis In Vivo by a Forebrain Stab Injury

Published on: June 29, 2015

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Psychology
Pharmacology

Background:

Aggression is a significant societal issue.
Understanding the neurocognitive underpinnings of reactive aggression is crucial for developing effective treatments.

Purpose of the Study:

To present a neurocognitive model of reactive aggression.
To evaluate four potential interventions (mindfulness, cognitive-behavioral therapies, omega-3s, SSRIs) through the lens of this model.

Main Methods:

The study reviews existing research on the neurocognitive model and the efficacy of the four interventions.
It examines how these interventions target specific neuropsychological mechanisms.

Main Results:

All four interventions (mindfulness, CBT, omega-3s, SSRIs) generally support reducing aggression and improving anger regulation.
Partial support exists for improved reward functioning and response inhibition.
Each intervention demonstrates adaptive effects on brain function.

Conclusions:

The neurocognitive model provides a framework for understanding and treating reactive aggression.
Mindfulness, CBT, omega-3s, and SSRIs show potential for reducing aggression through modifiable neuropsychological mechanisms.
Further research is needed to fully elucidate the efficacy and mechanisms of these interventions.