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Heterogeneity in the structure of aggressive personality
1Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University.
Personality Disorders
|April 2, 2026
Summary
High aggressiveness in personality disorders shows distinct patterns. Findings reveal three profiles, with more aggressive individuals exhibiting antagonistic traits over angry, retaliatory tendencies.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Personality Disorders
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Aggressiveness is a key trait in personality disorders.
- Existing aggressiveness scales have varied factor structures.
- A comprehensive understanding of aggressiveness factors at high levels is lacking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the factor structure of aggressiveness at high levels.
- To explore how aggressiveness factors change or remain stable in personality pathology.
- To identify latent profiles of aggressiveness.
Main Methods:
- Factor mixture modeling was applied to self-report data.
- Data were collected from 1,447 diverse undergraduates.
- Person-centered and variable-centered analyses were combined.
Main Results:
- Three latent profiles of aggressiveness were identified: high, medium, and low.
- Five of the six original aggressiveness factors were consistently found across profiles.
- Higher aggressiveness profiles showed a shift from angry/retaliatory to antagonistic traits.
Conclusions:
- The factor structure of aggressiveness shows stability but also shifts at higher levels.
- Aggressiveness in personality pathology is characterized by distinct profiles.
- Understanding these profiles offers insights into personality disorders.
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