Aggressive behavior as a function of age and sex

The present experiment investigated age and sex differences in aggressive behavior. With the use of an apparatus which delivered differentially noxious noise bursts, 40 male and female Ss of preschool and adolescent age aggressed against a male or female peer. Results indicated that aggression by and toward females was relatively stable over age, while aggression by males toward other males increased markedly (p less than .05). The implication of findings for reinforcement explanations of sex differences in aggression are discussed.