1
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Lawler S, Barrett EL, Teesson M, Kelly E, Champion KE, Debenham J, Smout A, Chapman C, Slade T, Conrod PJ, Newton NC, Stapinski L. The long-term effectiveness of a personality-targeted substance use prevention program on aggression from adolescence to early adulthood. Psychol Med 2024:1-9. [PMID: 38680095 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291724000989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Addressing aggressive behavior in adolescence is a key step toward preventing violence and associated social and economic costs in adulthood. This study examined the secondary effects of the personality-targeted substance use preventive program Preventure on aggressive behavior from ages 13 to 20. METHODS In total, 339 young people from nine independent schools (M age = 13.03 years, s.d. = 0.47, range = 12-15) who rated highly on one of the four personality traits associated with increased substance use and other emotional/behavioral symptoms (i.e. impulsivity, anxiety sensitivity, sensation seeking, and negative thinking) were included in the analyses (n = 145 in Preventure, n = 194 in control). Self-report assessments were administered at baseline and follow-up (6 months, 1, 2, 3, 5.5, and 7 years). Overall aggression and subtypes of aggressive behaviors (proactive, reactive) were examined using multilevel mixed-effects analysis accounting for school-level clustering. RESULTS Across the 7-year follow-up period, the average yearly reduction in the frequency of aggressive behaviors (b = -0.42; 95% confidence interval [CI] -0.64 to -0.20; p < 0.001), reactive aggression (b = -0.22; 95% CI 0.35 to -0.10; p = 0.001), and proactive aggression (b = -0.14; 95% CI -0.23 to -0.05; p = 0.002) was greater for the Preventure group compared to the control group. CONCLUSIONS The study suggests a brief personality-targeted intervention may have long-term impacts on aggression among young people; however, this interpretation is limited by imbalance of sex ratios between study groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siobhan Lawler
- The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health & Substance Use, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Emma L Barrett
- The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health & Substance Use, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Maree Teesson
- The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health & Substance Use, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Erin Kelly
- The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health & Substance Use, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Katrina E Champion
- The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health & Substance Use, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Jennifer Debenham
- The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health & Substance Use, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Anna Smout
- The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health & Substance Use, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Cath Chapman
- The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health & Substance Use, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Tim Slade
- The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health & Substance Use, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Patricia J Conrod
- University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada
- Sainte Justine Hospital Research Centre, Montreal, Canada
| | - Nicola C Newton
- The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health & Substance Use, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Lexine Stapinski
- The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health & Substance Use, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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2
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Babcock JC, Kini S, Godfrey DA, Rodriguez L. Differential Treatment Response of Proactive and Reactive Partner Abusive Men: Results from a Laboratory Proximal Change Experiment. PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTION 2024; 33:43-54. [PMID: 38298213 PMCID: PMC10826976 DOI: 10.5093/pi2024a2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
Objective: The current study reexamines data from Babcock et al. (2011) proximal change experiment to discern the differential utility of two communication skills-based interventions for proactive and reactive partner violence offenders. Method: Partner violent men were randomly assigned to the Editing Out the Negative skill, the Accepting Influence skill, or to a placebo/timeout and reengaged in a conflict discussion with their partners. Proactivity was tested as a moderator of immediate intervention outcomes. The ability to learn the communication skills, changes in self-reported affect, observed aggression, and psychophysiological responding were examined as a function of proactivity of violence. Results: Highly proactive men had some difficulty learning the Accepting Influence skill and they responded poorly to this intervention. They responded positively to the Editing Out the Negative technique, with less aggression, more positive affect, and lower heart rates. Low proactive (i.e., reactive) men tended to feel less aggressive, more positive, and less physiologically aroused after completing the Accepting Influence technique. Conclusions: This study lends support for tailoring batterer interventions specific to perpetrator characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sheetal Kini
- The Lighthouse ArabiaUAEThe Lighthouse Arabia, UAE;
| | | | - Lindsey Rodriguez
- University of FloridaGainesvilleFLUSAUniversity of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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3
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Potegal M, Htet L, Sartor H. Levels of Aggression Escalation in Adult/Geriatric Occupational Therapy Workplaces. Psychol Rep 2023; 126:3071-3089. [PMID: 35531977 DOI: 10.1177/00332941221100469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2023]
Abstract
Workplace aggression can escalate from verbal to physical, adding risk of physical injury to negative psychological impact. Understanding escalation is necessary to develop effective violence intervention/prevention programs, but its occurrence is not well documented. An online survey determined if and how aggression escalates in occupational therapy (OT) workplaces. Because local culture can influence workplace events we compared surveys from northeastern states with the lowest rates of homicide to southeastern states with the highest. Ninety four OTs working in southeastern or northeastern states reported details of the most recent verbal and/or physical aggressive event initiated by clients (NIOSH Type 2) or staff (NIOSH Type 3) they witnessed or experienced in the workplace within the last year. Aggressor status, motivation, actions; therapist reactions, injuries and psychological sequelae were queried in logical order. Behavior inter-correlation followed by cluster analysis determined if levels of escalation could be detected. Analyses grouped events into five escalation levels in which progressively more hostile or damaging behaviors were added at each successive level. Higher levels involved known risk factors: Younger, reactively angry clients with prior aggression histories escalated attacks to involve restraint, calls for help and physical injury. Southeastern aggressor/target interactions appeared more combative, seemingly regardless of personal risk. Remarkably, northeastern OTs reported significantly more positive and fewer negative feelings across levels of escalation. OT workplace aggression occurs frequently, can escalate to injurious levels and requires prevention/intervention. How therapists maintain positive attitudes in the face of violence deserves further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Potegal
- Occupational Therapy ad Honorem, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Leah Htet
- Occupational Therapy Program Masters Student, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Hannah Sartor
- Occupational Therapy Program Masters Student, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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4
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Potegal M, Nordman JC. Non-angry aggressive arousal and angriffsberietschaft: A narrative review of the phenomenology and physiology of proactive/offensive aggression motivation and escalation in people and other animals. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 147:105110. [PMID: 36822384 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023]
Abstract
Human aggression typologies largely correspond with those for other animals. While there may be no non-human equivalent of angry reactive aggression, we propose that human proactive aggression is similar to offense in other animals' dominance contests for territory or social status. Like predation/hunting, but unlike defense, offense and proactive aggression are positively reinforcing, involving dopamine release in accumbens. The drive these motivational states provide must suffice to overcome fear associated with initiating risky fights. We term the neural activity motivating proactive aggression "non-angry aggressive arousal", but use "angriffsberietschaft" for offense motivation in other animals to acknowledge possible differences. Temporal variation in angriffsberietschaft partitions fights into bouts; engendering reduced anti-predator vigilance, redirected aggression and motivational over-ride. Increased aggressive arousal drives threat-to-attack transitions, as in verbal-to-physical escalation and beyond that, into hyper-aggression. Proactive aggression and offense involve related neural activity states. Cingulate, insular and prefrontal cortices energize/modulate aggression through a subcortical core containing subnuclei for each aggression type. These proposals will deepen understanding of aggression across taxa, guiding prevention/intervention for human violence.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jacob C Nordman
- Department of Physiology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Carbondale, IL, USA.
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5
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Guo Y, Xia LX. Relational model of relative deprivation, revenge, and cyberbullying: A three-time longitudinal study. Aggress Behav 2023. [PMID: 36842166 DOI: 10.1002/ab.22079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/27/2023]
Abstract
Cyberbullying is a new form of aggression and can have serious consequences. Although the influencing factors of cyberbullying have been explored in the literature, less is known of the longitudinal effects of relative deprivation on cyberbullying and the mediating mechanisms underlying the effect. In this study, we explored these problems. A total of 1143 undergraduates (62.9% women, mean age = 19.46, standard deviation [SD] = 0.95) participated in three rounds of a longitudinal survey with an interval of 6 months and completed a series of self-reported questionnaires assessing relative deprivation, revenge, and cyberbullying. The results of random intercept cross-lagged panel model showed that at between-person level, the random intercepts of relative deprivation, revenge, and cyberbullying were positively associated with each other. At within-person level, relative deprivation and revenge could predict each other over time, and revenge longitudinally predicted cyberbullying. Moreover, revenge mediated the longitudinal effect of relative deprivation on cyberbullying. The results support and develop the view of the general aggression model and deepen our understanding of the development mechanism of cyberbullying.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongfen Guo
- Research Center of Psychology and Social Development, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.,Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Ling-Xiang Xia
- Research Center of Psychology and Social Development, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.,Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
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6
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Joseph JJ, Mela M, Pei J. Aggressive behaviour and violence in children and adolescents with FASD: A synthesizing review. Clin Psychol Rev 2022; 94:102155. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2022.102155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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7
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Lobbestael J, Cima MJ. Virtual Reality for Aggression Assessment: The Development and Preliminary Results of Two Virtual Reality Tasks to Assess Reactive and Proactive Aggression in Males. Brain Sci 2021; 11:1653. [PMID: 34942955 PMCID: PMC8699434 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11121653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Validly measuring aggression is challenging because self-reports are plagued with biased answer tendencies and behavioral measures with ethical concerns and low ecological validity. The current study, therefore, introduces a novel virtual reality (VR) aggression assessment tool, differentially assessing reactive and proactive aggression. Two VR tasks were developed, one in an alley environment (N = 24, all male, Mage = 23.88, 83.3% students) and an improved second one in a bar (N = 50, all male, Mage = 22.54, 90% students). In this bar VR task, participants were randomly assigned to either the reactive condition where they were triggered by a cheating and insulting dart-player or to the proactive condition where they could earn extra money by aggressing. Participants' level of self-reported aggression and psychopathy was assessed, after which they engaged in either the reactive or proactive VR task. Changes in affect and blood pressure were also measured. Aggression in the reactive VR task was evidenced to mostly display convergent validity because it positively correlated with self-reported aggression and total and fearless dominance factor scores of psychopathy, and there was a trend relationship with increased systolic blood pressure. The validity of the proactive aggression variant of our VR bar paradigm received less support, and needs more refinement. It can be concluded that VR is a potentially promising tool to experimentally induce and assess (reactive) aggression, which has the potential to provide aggression researchers and clinicians with a realistic and modifiable aggression assessment environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill Lobbestael
- Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, 6211 Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Maaike J. Cima
- Department Developmental Psychopathology, Brain Science Institute, Radboud University, 6525 Nijmegen, The Netherlands;
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8
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A Combined Administration of Testosterone and Arginine Vasopressin Affects Aggressive Behavior in Males. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11121623. [PMID: 34942928 PMCID: PMC8699569 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11121623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Revised: 12/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Aggressive behavior is modulated by many factors, including personality and cognition, as well as endocrine and neural changes. To study the potential effects on the reaction to provocation, which was realized by an ostensible opponent subtracting money from the participant, we administered testosterone (T) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) or a respective placebo (PL). Forty males underwent a functional magnetic resonance imaging session while performing a provocation paradigm. We investigated differential hormone effects and the potential influence of Machiavellian traits on punishment choices (monetary subtractions by the participant) in the paradigm. Participants in the T/AVP group subtracted more money when they were not provoked but showed increased activation in the inferior frontal gyrus and inferior parietal lobule during feedback compared to PL. Higher Machiavellian traits significantly increased punishing behavior independent of provocation only in this group. The pilot study shows that T/AVP affects neural and behavioral responses during a provocation paradigm while personality characteristics, such as Machiavellian trait patterns, specifically interact with hormonal influences (T/AVP) and their effects on behavior.
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9
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Thomson ND, Kevorkian S, Blair J, Farrell A, West SJ, Bjork JM. Psychophysiological underpinnings of proactive and reactive aggression in young men and women. Physiol Behav 2021; 242:113601. [PMID: 34547319 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2021.113601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Reactive aggression is posited to occur as a result of hypersensitivity to threat, whereas fearlessness may drive proactive aggression. This study aimed to test if physiological fear reactivity differentially relates to self-report reactive and proactive aggression using immersive virtual reality fear (VR) induction. We collected subjective fear ratings and sympathetic (SNS; skin conductance) and parasympathetic (PNS; respiratory sinus arrhythmia) nervous system reactivity during an interactive VR horror video. Results showed that for men and women, reactive aggression was related to heightened SNS fear reactivity. For men, proactive aggression was related to hypoarousal of the PNS and SNS (coinhibition) during fear induction, whereas augmented PNS was related to proactive aggression in women. These results support the fearlessness hypothesis for proactive aggression in men, but this does not replicate in women. By contrast, hypersensitivity to fear is related to reactive aggression for both men and women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas D Thomson
- Departments of Surgery and Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, 23298, United States; Injury and Violence Prevention Program, Department of Surgery, Virginia Commonwealth University, United States.
| | - Salpi Kevorkian
- Department of Surgery, Virginia Commonwealth University, United States; Injury and Violence Prevention Program, Department of Surgery, Virginia Commonwealth University, United States
| | - James Blair
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, Nebraska, United States
| | - Albert Farrell
- Clark-Hill Institute for Positive Youth Development, Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, United States
| | - Samuel J West
- Department of Surgery, Virginia Commonwealth University, United States; Injury and Violence Prevention Program, Department of Surgery, Virginia Commonwealth University, United States
| | - James M Bjork
- Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies, Departments of Psychiatry, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, 23298, United States
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10
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Belfry KD, Kolla NJ. Cold-Blooded and on Purpose: A Review of the Biology of Proactive Aggression. Brain Sci 2021; 11:1412. [PMID: 34827411 PMCID: PMC8615983 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11111412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Proactive aggression (PA) is a planned and unprovoked form of aggression that is most often enacted for personal gain or in anticipation of a reward. Frequently described as "cold-blooded" or goal oriented, PA is thought to be associated with low autonomic arousal. With this view in mind, we performed a scoping review of the biological correlates of PA and identified 74 relevant articles. Physiological findings indicated a robust association between PA and reduced resting heart rate, and to a lesser extent a relationship between PA and decreased heart rate and skin conductance reactivity, perhaps indicating dampened sympathetic function. The twin literature identified PA as a heritable trait, but little evidence implicates specific genes in the pathogenesis of PA. Neuroimaging studies of PA pinpoint impaired amygdala function in the assessment and conditioning of aversive stimuli, which may influence the establishment of behavioral patterns. Nodes of the default mode network were identified as possible neural correlates of PA, suggesting that altered function of this network may be involved in the genesis of PA. Given the overlap of PA with reactive aggression and the overall behavioral complexity of PA, it is clear that multiple endophenotypes of PA exist. This comprehensive review surveys the most salient neurobiologically informed research on PA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly D. Belfry
- Waypoint Research Institute, Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care, Penetanguishene, ON L9M 1G3, Canada;
| | - Nathan J. Kolla
- Waypoint Research Institute, Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care, Penetanguishene, ON L9M 1G3, Canada;
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
- Violence Prevention Neurobiological Research Unit, CAMH, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
- Waypoint/University of Toronto Research Chair in Forensic Mental Health Science, Penetanguishene, ON L9M 1G3, Canada
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11
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Boccadoro S, Wagels L, Henn AT, Hüpen P, Graben L, Raine A, Neuner I. Proactive vs. Reactive Aggression Within Two Modified Versions of the Taylor Aggression Paradigm. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:749041. [PMID: 34658808 PMCID: PMC8511695 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.749041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The Taylor Aggression Paradigm (TAP) has been widely used to measure reactive aggression following provocation during competitive interactions. Besides being reactive, aggression can be goal-directed (proactive aggression). Our study presents a novel paradigm to investigate proactive aggression during competitive interactions. Sixty-seven healthy participants competed in two modified versions of the TAP against an ostensible opponent while skin conductance responses (SCRs) were recorded. During the proactive TAP (pTAP), only the participant could interfere with the ostensible opponent’s performance by blurring the screen. In the reactive TAP (rTAP), the opponent repeatedly provoked the participant by blurring the screen of the participant, impeding their chance to win. In both versions, the blurriness levels chosen by the participant served as a measure of aggression (unprovoked in the pTAP and provoked in the rTAP). In the pTAP, trial-by-trial mixed model analyses revealed higher aggression with higher self-reported selfishness. SCRs decreased with increasing proactive aggression. An interaction effect between gender and proactive aggression for the SCRs revealed increased SCRs at higher aggression levels in females, but lower SCRs at higher aggression levels in males. In the rTAP, SCRs were not associated with reactive aggression but aggression increased with increasing provocation and especially after losing against the opponent when provoked. While males showed higher aggression levels than females when unprovoked, reactive aggression increased more strongly in females with higher provocation. Mean levels of aggression in both tasks showed a high positive correlation. Our results highlight that, despite being intercorrelated and both motivated by selfishness, proactive and reactive aggression are differentially influenced by gender and physiological arousal. Proactive aggression is related to lower physiological arousal, especially in males, with females showing the opposite association. Reactive aggressive behavior is a result of individual responses to provocation, to which females seem to be more sensitive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Boccadoro
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Lisa Wagels
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.,JARA-BRAIN Institute Brain Structure and Function, INM-10, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Jülich Research Centre, Jülich, Germany
| | - Alina Theresa Henn
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Philippa Hüpen
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.,JARA-BRAIN Institute Brain Structure and Function, INM-10, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Jülich Research Centre, Jülich, Germany
| | - Lia Graben
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Adrian Raine
- Department of Criminology, Psychiatry, and Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Irene Neuner
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.,Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine 4, INM-4, Jülich Research Centre, Jülich, Germany.,JARA-BRAIN-Translational Medicine, Aachen, Germany
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12
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Duan J, Yang Z, Zhang F, Zhou Y, Yin J. Aggressive behaviors in highly sadistic and highly impulsive individuals. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2021.110875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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13
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Penzel IB, Bair J, Liu T, Robinson MD. The Revised Animal Preference Test: An Implicit Probe of Tendencies Toward Psychopathy. JOURNAL OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE 2021; 36:3710-3731. [PMID: 29806559 DOI: 10.1177/0886260518777553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
At least some forms of interpersonal violence could follow from a vision of the self as a fierce, dominant creature. This should be particularly true when psychopathic (more proactive, less reactive) tendencies are involved. Possible relations of this type were examined in two studies (total N = 278) in which college student samples were presented with a new, structured version of an old projective test typically used in psychotherapy contexts. Participants were presented with predator-prey animal pairs (e.g., lion-zebra) that were not explicitly labeled as such. For each pair, the person was asked to choose the animal that they would more prefer to be. Participants who desired to be predator animals more often, on this Revised Animal Preference Test (RAPT), tended toward psychopathy to a greater extent. In Study 1, such relations were manifest in terms of correlations with psychopathic traits and with an interpersonal style marked by hostile dominance. Further analyses, though, revealed that predator self-identifications were more strongly related to primary psychopathy than secondary psychopathy. Study 2 replicated the interpersonal style correlates of the RAPT. In addition, photographs were taken of the participants in the second study and these photographs were rated for apparent hostility and dominance. As hypothesized, participants who wanted to be predator animals to a greater extent also appeared more hostile and dominant in their nonverbal behaviors. These studies suggest that projective preferences can be assessed in a reliable manner through the use of standardizing procedures. Furthermore, the studies point to some of the motivational factors that may contribute to psychopathy and interpersonal violence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian B Penzel
- The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, USA
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14
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Armstrong T, Wells J, Boisvert DL, Lewis RH, Cooke EM, Woeckener M, Kavish N. An exploratory analysis of testosterone, cortisol, and aggressive behavior type in men and women. Biol Psychol 2021; 161:108073. [PMID: 33727106 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2021.108073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Revised: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Increasing evidence indicates that the interaction between testosterone and cortisol is associated with variation in aggressive behavior. However, results are mixed. The current study further explored the association between testosterone, cortisol, and both reactive and proactive aggression in a large sample of university students. Models considered direct and interactive effects between baseline measures of testosterone and cortisol as well as change in hormones in response to a social stressor. In women, baseline cortisol had a negative direct association with reactive aggression and was further associated with reactive aggression in interaction with baseline testosterone (positive interaction). Hormones were unrelated to reactive aggression in men. Baseline cortisol had a negative direct association with proactive aggression in women. In contrast, the association between change in cortisol and proactive aggression was positive. Cortisol was not associated with proactive aggression in men. In addition, testosterone was not related to proactive aggression either directly or in interaction with cortisol in either men or women. Collectively, these results show that the association between hormones and aggression varies across aggressive behavior type and across sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Todd Armstrong
- School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Nebraska Omaha, 6001 Dodge Street, Omaha, NE, 68182, United States.
| | - Jessica Wells
- Department of Criminal Justice, Boise State University, Boise, ID, 83725, United States
| | - Danielle L Boisvert
- Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX, 77341, United States
| | - Richard H Lewis
- Department of Criminal Justice, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Little Rock, AR, 72204, United States
| | - Eric M Cooke
- Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX, 77341, United States
| | - Matthias Woeckener
- Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX, 77341, United States
| | - Nicholas Kavish
- Department of Psychology and Philosophy, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX, 77341, United States
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15
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Relating Reactive and Proactive Aggression to Trait Driving Anger in Young and Adult Males: A Pilot Study Using Explicit and Implicit Measures. SUSTAINABILITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/su13041850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Driving anger and aggressive driving are main contributors to crashes, especially among young males. Trait driving anger is context-specific and unique from other forms of anger. It is necessary to understand the mechanisms of trait driving anger to develop targeted interventions. Although literature conceptually distinguished reactive and proactive aggression, this distinction is uncommon in driving research. Similar, cognitive biases related to driving anger, measured by a combination of explicit and implicit measures, received little attention. This pilot study related explicit and implicit measures associated with reactive and proactive aggression to trait driving anger, while considering age. The sample consisted of 42 male drivers. The implicit measures included a self-aggression association (i.e., Single-Target Implicit Association Test) and an attentional aggression bias (i.e., Emotional Stroop Task). Reactive aggression related positively with trait driving anger. Moreover, a self-aggression association negatively related to trait driving anger. Finally, an interaction effect for age suggested that only in young male drivers, higher proactive aggression related to lower trait driving anger. These preliminary results motivate further attention to the combination of explicit and implicit measures related to reactive and proactive aggression in trait driving anger research.
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Hagan MJ, Waters SF, Holley S, Moctezuma L, Gentry M. The interactive effect of family conflict history and physiological reactivity on different forms of aggression in young women. Biol Psychol 2020; 153:107888. [PMID: 32335128 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2020.107888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Revised: 01/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Evidence indicates that patterns of biological reactivity underlie different forms of aggression, but greater precision is needed in research targeting biopsychosocial processes that underlie such differences. This study investigated how sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system (SNS and PNS) responses to social stress were associated with multiple forms of aggression in an ethnically-diverse sample of young adult females; it further examined whether early life exposure to family conflict moderated these relationships. In the context of high levels of family conflict history, greater SNS activation during a social conflict task was associated with more direct proactive aggression and increasing RSA was associated with more direct reactive aggression. Greater SNS activation during the task was associated with more direct reactive aggression regardless of family conflict history. Our findings affirm the need to capture the contributions of multiple physiological systems simultaneously and the importance of considering family history in the study of aggression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa J Hagan
- San Francisco State University, United States; University of California, San Francisco, United States.
| | - Sara F Waters
- Washington State University, Vancouver, United States
| | - Sarah Holley
- San Francisco State University, United States; University of California, San Francisco, United States
| | | | - Miya Gentry
- San Francisco State University, United States
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An experimental task to measure proactive aggression under incentive condition: A Reward-Interference Task. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2019.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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Skin conductance, heart rate and aggressive behavior type. Biol Psychol 2019; 141:44-51. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2018.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Revised: 11/28/2018] [Accepted: 12/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Psychopathic Traits Associate Differentially to Anger, Disgust and Fear Recognition among Men and Women. JOURNAL OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY AND BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENT 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s10862-016-9561-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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Types of Relational Aggression in Girls Are Differentiated by Callous-Unemotional Traits, Peers and Parental Overcontrol. Behav Sci (Basel) 2015; 5:518-36. [PMID: 26580659 PMCID: PMC4695776 DOI: 10.3390/bs5040518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2015] [Revised: 10/20/2015] [Accepted: 11/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Adolescent girls often perpetrate aggression by gossiping and spreading rumours about others, by attempting to ruin relationships and by manipulating and excluding others. Further, males and females engage in reactive and proactive relational aggression differently. In this study, we examined the individual, peer and parental contextual factors that best explained the use of reactive and proactive relational aggression in girls. Female participants (n = 614; ages 11-18 years) completed questionnaires on aggression, callous-unemotional (CU) traits, delinquency, peer delinquency, gender composition of their peer group, resistance to peer influence and perceived parental overcontrol. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine the effects of individual, peer- and parent-related variables on the likelihood of being classified as a low aggressor, reactive aggressor or proactive/reactive aggressor. Girls in the combined reactive/proactive aggression group were younger, had greater CU traits, a lower proportion of male peers and greater perception of parental control than both the reactive and low aggressive groups. Both highly aggressive groups were more delinquent and had greater peer delinquency than the low aggressive group. This study suggests those girls who show relational aggression for the purpose of gaining status and revenge feel restrained by their parents and may gravitate toward relationships that support their behaviour.
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Antonini TN, Becker SP, Tamm L, Epstein JN. Hot and Cool Executive Functions in Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Comorbid Oppositional Defiant Disorder. J Int Neuropsychol Soc 2015; 21:584-95. [PMID: 26416095 PMCID: PMC4589250 DOI: 10.1017/s1355617715000752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
While neuropsychological deficits in both "hot" and "cool" executive functions (EFs) have been documented among individuals with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), these EF deficits are not universal across all individuals with this diagnosis. One potential moderator of executive dysfunction may be the presence of comorbid oppositional defiant disorder (ODD). This study examined the association between "hot" and "cool" EFs and comorbid ODD in children with ADHD. Thirty-three children with ADHD and comorbid ODD (ADHD+ODD), 67 with ADHD without ODD (ADHD-ODD), and 30 typically developing controls participated. Children were 7-12 years of age. "Cool" EFs were assessed with a spatial span task and a card sorting test. "Hot" EFs were assessed using a delay discounting task and a gambling task. ADHD-ODD and ADHD+ODD groups performed more poorly on "cool" EF tasks than controls, but did not differ from each other. Furthermore, the number of ADHD symptoms, but not ODD symptoms, was associated with "cool" EF scores. The three groups did not differ on "hot" EF tasks and the number of ADHD or ODD symptoms was unrelated to "hot" EF scores. In sum, children with ADHD presented with "cool" EF deficits which appear to be unrelated to ODD comorbidity. However, "hot" EF deficits were not present among children with ADHD, irrespective of comorbid ODD status.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Leanne Tamm
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center,Cincinnati,Ohio
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Zhang W, Gao Y. Interactive effects of social adversity and respiratory sinus arrhythmia activity on reactive and proactive aggression. Psychophysiology 2015; 52:1343-50. [DOI: 10.1111/psyp.12473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2014] [Accepted: 06/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zhang
- Department of Psychology; The Graduate Center, City University of New York; New York New York USA
| | - Yu Gao
- Department of Psychology; The Graduate Center, City University of New York; New York New York USA
- Department of Psychology; Brooklyn College, City University of New York; Brooklyn New York USA
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Jonason PK, Duineveld JJ, Middleton JP. Pathology, pseudopathology, and the Dark Triad of personality. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2015.01.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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Abstract
AbstractLankford shows that suicide terrorists have much in common with maladjusted persons who die by suicide. However, what differentiates suicidal killers from those who “only” commit suicide? A key element may be vulnerable narcissism. Narcissism has been simultaneously linked to interpersonal aggression, achievement, and depression. These traits may explain the paradoxical picture of a person who may appear “normal” in some aspects, and yet hate himself and others so intensely as to seek mutual destruction.
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