The displaced aggression questionnaire

The Dual Pathways Hypothesis of Incel Harm: A Model of Harmful Attitudes and Beliefs Among Involuntary Celibates

Incels (involuntary celibates) are an online subculture of men who form their identity around a perceived inability to form sexual or romantic relationships. This community operates almost exclusively online, often serving as an outlet for misogynistic hostility. Concerns about violence from incels have positioned them as a growing (inter)national security threat. This study, the largest primary investigation of incel harmful attitudes and beliefs to date (N = 561), recruited participants from the USA and the UK with a mean age of 26 years. Consistent with previous research, the sample showed ethnic and political diversity, poor mental health, high levels of suicidal ideation, and autistic traits. Using a 3N (needs, networks, and narratives) informed theoretical framework, our pathway analysis revealed that poor mental health and ideological adherence were twice as predictive of harmful attitudes and beliefs (e.g., displaced aggression, hostile sexism, and justification of violence) compared to networking, with a bidirectional effect between poor mental health and ideology. We also found two distinct indirect pathways to harmful attitudes and beliefs among incels: one involving experiential vulnerabilities (e.g., autism traits, low mate value, and histories of bullying and abuse) and the other rooted in dispositional traits (e.g., the dark triad and right-wing political orientation), leading us to propose the dual pathways hypothesis of incel harm. These findings suggest that interventions targeting mental health and ideology may be more effective than those focusing solely on online networking. Implications for intervention strategies, informed by these theoretical models, are discussed, including date coaching, therapy and role modeling from former incels. As issues of extremism, online radicalization, and mental health grow in importance, these insights are vital for policymakers, educators, journalists, and others addressing the challenges incels face and represent in society.

Serial Cascade Effects of Relative Deprivation and Anger Rumination on the Development of Social Aggression Over 2.5 Years in Emerging Adults

Although the mechanisms of development of aggression have been focused on day by day, the complicated effects of distal and proximal factors on the development of social aggression in emerging adults have not been uncovered. A serial cascade model of aggression was proposed to address this issue. A longitudinal investigation over 2.5 years was conducted to test this model by exploring the serial cascade effects of relative deprivation (a representative of distal factors) and anger rumination (a representative of proximal factors) on the development of social aggression. A total of 1113 Chinese university students (Mage = 18.95 ± 0.96, 63.10% female) from six universities in five areas participated in this study. The results suggest that developmental trajectories and longitudinal changes in anger rumination mediate the relationship between developmental trajectories and longitudinal changes in relative deprivation and social aggression, and developmental trajectories and changes in relative deprivation mediate the longitudinal relationship between anger rumination and social aggression. These findings support the serial cascade effects of distal and proximal factors on the development of aggression and expand upon the general aggression model (GAM).

The negative effects of ego-depletion in junior high school students on displaced aggressive behavior and the counteraction of the natural environment

The current study investigated the effects of ego-depletion in junior high school students on displaced aggressive behavior and the counteraction of the nature. Study 1 investigated the effects of ego-depletion on displaced aggressive behavior in junior high school students using a within-subject design, comparing the differences in displaced aggressive behavior between the induced ego-depletion condition and the non-induced ego-depletion condition. Results showed that junior high school students exhibited significantly higher levels of displaced aggressive behavior under the induced ego-depletion condition compared to the non-induced ego-depletion condition. Study 2 examined the role of the nature in the process of ego-depletion influencing displaced aggressive behavior. A 2 (ego-depletion: induced ego-depletion vs. non-induced ego-depletion) × 2 (picture type: blank picture vs. natural picture) mixed design was used. A picture-viewing task was inserted between the ego-depletion task and the displaced aggressive behavior task to compare the differences in displaced aggressive behavior between the group that viewed blank pictures and the group that viewed natural pictures. The results showed that under the induced ego-depletion condition, there was no significant difference in displaced aggressive behavior between viewing natural pictures and viewing blank pictures. However, after viewing blank pictures, displaced aggressive behavior under induced ego-depletion condition was significantly higher than under non-induced ego-depletion condition; after viewing natural pictures, there was no significant difference in displaced aggressive behavior between induced ego-depletion condition and non-induced ego-depletion condition. These results suggest that ego-depletion can increase displaced aggressive behavior in junior high school students, but this phenomenon is not observed after exposure to nature. The current study provides empirical evidence for investigating the effects of ego-depletion on displaced aggressive behavior.

The transition from physical sibling abuse to bullying perpetration through trait anger: A longitudinal study

OBJECTIVES

Experiencing physical sibling abuse is a form of family violence that is common but understudied. While it is often perceived as a normative aspect of sibling relationships, there are apparent behavioral consequences. The current study aims to advance the literature by utilizing the displaced aggression model and I3 theory to longitudinally examine trait anger as a pathway linking physical sibling abuse to bullying perpetration.

METHODS

Using data from the Bullying, Sexual, and Dating Violence Trajectories from Early to Late Adolescence in the Midwestern United States, 2008-2013, adolescents (n = 851, M = 14.8 years) completed questionnaires at baseline and were reassessed 6 months later.

RESULTS

Results suggested that when adolescents experience physical sibling abuse, they are more likely to engage in bullying perpetration. Mediation analyses indicated that as adolescents were physically abused by a sibling at home, they were more likely to report higher levels of trait anger, which subsequently increased their risk of engaging in bullying perpetration.

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that experiencing physical sibling abuse has long-term detrimental consequences, including elicitation of trait anger, subsequently predicting bullying perpetration.

The structure of aggressive personality

OBJECTIVE

We sought to factor analyze a broad array of aggression measures to identify a comprehensive, coherent factor structure for this construct.

BACKGROUND

Measures and models of trait aggression have multiplied to the point of incoherence.

METHOD

In Study 1, a diverse sample of 922 undergraduates completed a battery of items acquired from 42 self-report aggression questionnaires. In Study 2, we administered a curated item pool to another diverse sample of 1447 undergraduates, alongside criterion measures.

RESULTS

We curated an initial item pool of 734 items down to 289 items that exhibited sufficient variability, were not redundant with other items, and possessed strong loadings onto a central 'trait aggression' factor. These remaining items were best characterized by a six-factor structure, which captured relational, angry, violent, retaliatory, intimate partner, and alcohol forms of aggression. We estimated their hierarchical structure, correlations with their original aggression scales, Five Factor Model trait dimensions, impulsivity facets, and found them to be robust to gender composition and the inclusion of alcohol-naive and intimate-partner-naive participants.

CONCLUSIONS

This factor structure mostly supported widely-accepted models of aggressive personality that focus on its overt and relational forms and reactive functions, though proactive aggression only loosely emerged as a distinct entity. We retained the final items as the Comprehensive Aggression Scale (CAS).

Thinking through the social world: Further exploring the direct, moderated, and mediated relationship between need for cognition and aggression

Findings from a paucity of research suggest that need for cognition (NFC) is negatively correlated with trait aggression. The correlational nature of the data juxtaposed with the reliance on assessing trait aggression negates causal claims regarding this relationship. The objective of the current research to expand our understanding of the relationship between NFC and aggression in the following ways: (1) focus on state, rather than trait, aggressive behavior, (2) examine the role of provocation, and (3) test the mediating influence of state anger and revenge motives. Our study had US emerging adult participants randomly assigned to be provoked or not before completing measures of anger, revenge motives, and aggression. Results showed that only revenge motives mediated the relationship between NFC and aggression, which was found to be significant only for provoked participants. Results are discussed in theoretical and practical implications.

Network analysis of trait aggression among community youths and juvenile offenders

OBJECTIVE

The mainstream view in trait aggression research has regarded the structure as representing the latent cause of the cognitions, emotions, and behaviors that supposedly reflect its nature. Under network perspective, trait aggression is not a latent cause of its features but a dynamic system of interacting elements. The current study uses network theory to explain the structure of relationships between trait aggression features in juvenile offenders and their peers.

METHODS

Network analysis was applied to investigate the dynamic system of trait aggression operationalized by the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire in a sample of community youths (Mage = 17.46, N = 715) and juvenile offenders (Mage = 18.36, N = 834).

RESULTS

The facet level networks showed that anger is a particularly effective mechanism for activating all other traits. In addition, anger was more strongly associated with physical aggression and the overall network strength was greater in juvenile delinquency networks than in their peers. The item level networks revealed that A4 and A6 exhibited the highest predictability and strength centrality in both samples. Also, the Bayesian network indicated that these two items were positioned at the highest level in the model. There are similarities and differences between juvenile delinquents and community adolescents in trait aggression.

CONCLUSION

Trait aggression was primarily activated by difficulty controlling one's temper and feeling like a powder keg.

Emotional Regulation of Displaced Aggression in Provocative Situations among Junior High School Students

This study investigated the emotion regulation effect of displaced aggression among junior high school students after provocation through two experiments. Experiment 1 examined the effect of displaced aggression on the negative and positive emotions of junior high school students after low- and high-level provocation. The results showed that only after high-level provocation did individuals experience a significant decrease in negative emotions and a significant increase in positive emotions after engaging in displaced aggression. Experiment 2 explored the effect of aggressive intensity on negative and positive emotions after provocation. The results indicated that, in terms of changes in positive emotions, low-intensity aggression showed a significant increase in positive emotions after aggression. Regarding changes in negative emotions, both low-intensity aggression and high-intensity aggression resulted in significant decreases in negative emotions after aggression. In conclusion, this research showed that, in highly provocative situations, displaced aggression among junior school students, especially low-intensity displaced aggression, could increase positive emotions and decrease negative emotions. These results support the emotional regulation theory of aggression. However, considering that displaced aggression violates social norms, efforts should be made to avoid individuals regulating their emotions through displaced aggression, instead guiding them toward using more appropriate methods for emotional regulation in future research and practical applications.

The Effect of Bystander Features on Displaced Aggression in Provocative Situations among Male Juvenile Delinquents

Two studies were conducted to explore the influence of bystander features of displaced aggression in provocative situations among male juvenile delinquents. Study 1 examined the differences in displaced aggression between provoked male juvenile delinquents in the presence or absence of bystanders. The results revealed that provoked male juvenile delinquents exhibited significantly higher levels of displaced aggression when bystanders were present compared to when they were not. Study 2 further manipulated the bystanders' trigger level and investigated the differences in displaced aggression exhibited by provoked male juvenile delinquents towards highly versus lowly triggered bystanders. The results indicated that after low provocation, male juvenile delinquents exhibited significantly higher levels of displaced aggression towards highly triggered bystanders compared to lowly triggered bystanders. These findings demonstrated that male juvenile delinquents exhibited a high level of displaced aggression towards bystanders in provocative situations, particularly with highly triggered bystanders. This study supported the personality and social model of displaced aggression, emphasizing that bystanders, especially those with high triggers, were more likely to become targets of displaced aggression. The current study provides references for subsequent criminal rehabilitation and crime prevention.

The link between anger and reactive aggression: Insights into anger rumination

This study examined the mediating role of anger rumination in the relationship between anger and reactive aggression and the potential of adaptive anger rumination in reducing reactive aggression. Study 1, a two-wave longitudinal survey of 177 Chinese adolescents, showed that anger rumination mediated the relationship between anger and reactive aggression. Study 2, an experimental study with 160 university students, showed that the self-distanced group had lower aggression than the self-immersed group, and anger rumination mediated the impact of anger on reactive aggression in only the self-immersed group. These findings clarify the role of anger rumination concerning the relationship between anger and reactive-aggression and highlight the importance of self-distanced anger rumination in preventing reactive aggression among adolescents and young adults.

Common Mechanisms Underlying the Effect of Angry Rumination on Reactive and Proactive Aggression: A Moderated Mediation Model

The different influencing factors and mechanisms of the two basic kinds of aggression (i.e., reactive and proactive aggression) are salient. However, they also have common influencing factors and mechanisms, which are ignored to some extent. In addition, discovering the common mechanisms is conducive to further revealing the nature and law of aggression. To address these issues, this study tested a relational model incorporating angry rumination, moral disengagement, harm aversion, reactive aggression, and proactive aggression from the perspective of aggressive motivation. A total of 1,186 undergraduate students from eight universities were recruited. The results showed that angry rumination was significantly associated with reactive and proactive aggression. Importantly, moral disengagement acted as a common mediator, and harm aversion acted as a common moderator in the effect of angry rumination on reactive and proactive aggression. Specifically, the enhancement effects of low levels of harm aversion on these relationships are due to that it could promote the effects of angry rumination on the common mediator of moral disengagement. An aggressive motivation perspective was developed to comprehensively explain the common mediating and moderating effects. The present study contributes to a greater understanding of the mechanisms of reactive and proactive aggression and how aggressive motivations shape the model of aggressive behavior. These findings support and extend current aggression theories, especially aggression motivation theories. This study could provide insights for targeted aggression prevention interventions.

The impact of patients' hostile attribution bias on aggression in doctor-patient interactions

Background

Doctor-patient conflict is trending in social attention research. However, the existing literature rarely explores whether a patient's hostile attribution bias (HAB) in the doctor-patient interaction affects the aggression level against doctors.

Objective

This study aimed to explore the relationship and mechanism between different types of HAB and aggression in patients.

Method

In Study 1, 80 patients completed the word sentence association paradigm for hostility (WSAP-Hostility), and their explicit and implicit aggression levels were measured using the hot sauce paradigm and the single-category implicit association test (SC-IAT), respectively. In Study 2, 63 patients were randomly divided into an experimental (rejection) and a control group. Their state hostile attribution bias (SHAB) was activated through social rejection materials. They completed the SHAB questionnaire and anger expression inventory, and their explicit and implicit aggression levels were measured as in Study 1.

Results

In both studies, results indicated that patients' trait and state HAB were significantly related to explicit aggression but not implicit aggression. Hostile interpretation positively predicted explicit aggression, whereas benign interpretation had a negative predictive effect on explicit aggression. Patients' anger played a mediating role between SHAB and explicit aggression.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that patients' HAB affects explicit aggression toward doctors and anger plays a mediating role.

The Association Between Child Abuse and Aggressive Behavior: A Three-Level Meta-Analysis

Child abuse is considered to be an essential factor in the development of aggressive behavior. The intensity of the positive relations between child abuse and aggressive behavior differed considerably among researches despite the fact that abundant studies have observed this relation. According to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) approach, a three-level meta-analysis was employed to obtain reliable estimates for the sizes of effects and investigate some potential moderators of the relation between child abuse and aggressive behavior. The present study obtained 51 studies (30,566 participants; 680 effect sizes) through performing the detailed literature search. It was found that child abuse was positively associated with aggressive behavior in the current study. In addition, the present meta-analysis observed significant moderating effects for type of child abuse, culture, measurement of child abuse, and publication year in the association between child abuse and aggressive behavior. This study suggests that child abuse is a predictor for the development of aggressive behavior in humans. Moreover, child abuse is an important aspect for consideration in efforts toward strengthening of interventions targeting individuals' aggressive behavior.

Peer victimization and Internet addiction among adolescents: The role of anger rumination and social dominance orientation

INTRODUCTION

Internet addiction has garnered growing attention in recent years, and peer victimization plays a major contributor to adolescents' Internet addiction. However, little is known about the mediating and moderating mechanisms in the association between peer victimization and Internet addiction. Guided by cognitive behavioral model and worldview verification model, this study examined a moderated mediation model in which anger rumination at Time 1 (T1) mediated the association between peer victimization at T1 and Internet addiction at Time 2 (T2), and this mediation effect was moderated by T1 social dominance orientation (SDO).

METHODS

A short-term longitudinal design was adopted, incorporating two measurement occasions (with approximately 6-month intervals). Participants were 2597 adolescents (51.5% male, Mage  = 13.9, SD = 0.60) from seven secondary schools in Zhengzhou City, China. All participants were invited to complete the self-reported questionnaires assessing peer victimization, anger rumination, SDO at T1 (December 2015) and Internet addiction at T2 (June 2016), respectively. A short-term longitudinal moderated mediation model was conducted to analyze the association between variables.

RESULTS

The results showed that T1 peer victimization was positively associated with T2 Internet addiction in which association was mediated by T1 anger rumination. T1 SDO moderated the associations between T1 peer victimization and T1 anger rumination and this effect was stronger with lower levels of SDO. In terms of gender differences, SDO moderated the associations between peer victimization and anger rumination only for boys.

CONCLUSIONS

Results highlight that anger rumination is a potential mechanism explaining how peer victimization is related to Internet addiction and that this relation may be moderated by SDO.

The impacts of patient mistreatment on healthcare workers' role behaviors: a study in Chinese Fangcang shelter hospitals

BACKGROUND

Fangcang shelter hospitals have played an important role in the battle against the COVID-19 epidemic in China. Patients' verbal and physical attacks on medical workforce are prone to occur in such hospitals. This study explored the impacts of patient mistreatment on healthcare workers' role behaviors (service performance and patient-oriented organizational citizenship behavior).

METHODS

We examined the influence of patient mistreatment on service performance and patient-oriented organizational citizenship behavior, as well as the mediating effect of emotional exhaustion and the moderating effect of displaced aggression by patients, using hierarchical linear regression and conditional process analysis.

RESULTS

Patient mistreatment was positively associated with emotional exhaustion among healthcare workers, while emotional exhaustion was negatively associated with service performance and patient-oriented organizational citizenship behavior. Mediation analysis revealed that emotional exhaustion mediated the association between patient mistreatment and both types of role behaviors. Moderated mediation analysis found that the mediation effect was weaker when the displaced aggression by patients was high.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings clarified the relationship among patient mistreatment, emotional exhaustion, service performance, and patient-oriented organizational citizenship behavior. Additional assistance should be provided to healthcare workers dealing with patient mistreatment. Displaced aggression by patients attenuates the positive effects of patient mistreatment on the emotional exhaustion of healthcare workers. Our findings reveal the mechanism and boundary conditions of patient mistreatment affecting healthcare workers' service performance and patient-oriented organizational citizenship behavior.

Development of a measure of aggressive behavior expectancies in adults: The Aggression Expectancy Questionnaire

According to sociocognitive theories, aggression is learned and elicited through a series of cognitive processes, such as expectancies, or the various consequences that an individual considers more or less likely following aggressive behavior. The current manuscript describes a measurement development project that ultimately yielded a 16-item measure of positive and negative aggression expectancies suitable for use in adult populations. Across two content generation surveys, two preliminary item refinement studies, and three full studies, we took an iterative approach and administered large item pools to several samples and refined item content through a combination of empirical (i.e., factor loadings, model fit) and conceptual (i.e., content breadth, non-redundancy) considerations. The Aggression Expectancy Questionnaire displays a four-factor structure, as well as evidence of convergent and divergent validity with self-reported aggression and relevant basic (e.g., antagonism, anger) and complex (e.g., psychopathy) personality variables. It is posited that this type of cognitive mechanism may serve as an intermediary link between distal characterological predictors of aggression and its proximal manifestation, which is in line with several prominent theories of personality and may ultimately hold clinical utility by providing a framework for aggression interventions.

Antecedents of sibling aggression and bullying victimization: The parallel and serial contributions of depressive symptoms and substance use

PURPOSE

Sibling aggression has received attention as a common form of family violence. However, further research is needed to elucidate several antecedents of sibling aggression perpetration and bullying victimization, such as substance use and depressive symptoms. Additionally, more studies are needed to identify the mediating paths of depressive symptoms and substance use, which could explain the association between bullying victimization and sibling aggression perpetration on the one hand and the association between sibling aggression victimization and bullying victimization on the other hand, while controlling for exposure to family violence and demographic variables. The current study tested two separate mediational models guided by the displaced aggression theory and self-medication hypothesis.

METHOD

The present study used the Bullying, Sexual, and Dating Violence Trajectories From Early to Late Adolescence in the Midwestern United States, 2007-2013 dataset. The original sample consisted of 1162 middle school students who were initially surveyed and followed into three high schools. For the current study, the first wave was used, which included a sample of 1101 adolescents. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was conducted to first examine whether bullying victimization was associated with sibling aggression perpetration. Then another model was conducted to test whether sibling aggression victimization was associated with bullying victimization.

RESULTS

In the first model, results suggest bullying victimization is positively associated with sibling aggression. Mediation results indicated depressive symptoms and substance use serially mediated the relation between bullying victimization and sibling aggression. In the second model, results suggest that sibling aggression victimization is positively associated with bullying victimization. Parallel mediation results indicated that depressive symptoms alone and not substance use individually explained the association between sibling aggression victimization and bullying victimization. Finally, serial mediation results indicated that depressive symptoms and substance use serially mediate the association between sibling aggression victimization and bullying victimization.

LIMITATIONS

Limitations include self-report measures and cross-sectional design; therefore, we could not estimate casual relationships.

CONCLUSION

The implications of these findings suggest the need for continued attention to school-based bully prevention efforts and family relations interventions. Such efforts might be associated with reductions in bullying victimization and sibling aggression.

Relational model of relative deprivation, revenge, and cyberbullying: A three-time longitudinal study

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.

Twelve weeks of self-control training does not reduce aggression

Self-control training (SCT) is a method of practicing self-controlled behavior in one domain that enhances self-controlled behavior in additional domains. We investigated whether 4 and 12 weeks of practicing self-control would improve control over aggressive behavior. Relative to the active control group, SCT did not reduce aggression regardless of the training duration. We also did not find supportive evidence to suggest that theoretically relevant variables mediated or moderated the effects of SCT on aggression over time. Bayesian analyses showed greater support for the null hypotheses than the alternative hypothesis. Our experiment casts doubt on the long-term effectiveness of using SCT for reducing reactive aggression. Additional research is necessary to identify the conditions under which SCT is most likely to facilitate control over aggressive behavior.

I enjoy hurting my classmates: On the relation of boredom and sadism in schools

Schools can be a place of both love and of cruelty. We examined one type of cruelty that occurs in the school context: sadism, that is, harming others for pleasure. Primarily, we proposed and tested whether boredom plays a crucial role in the emergence of sadistic actions at school. In two well-powered studies (N = 1038; student age range = 10-18 years) using both self- and peer-reports of students' boredom levels and their sadistic tendencies, we first document that sadistic behavior occurs at school, although at a low level. We further show that those students who are more often bored at school are more likely to engage in sadistic actions (overall r = .36, 95% CI [0.24, 0.49]). In sum, the present work contributes to a better understanding of sadism in schools and points to boredom as one potential motivator. We discuss how reducing boredom might help to prevent sadistic tendencies at schools.

Direct and displaced aggression after exclusion: role of gender differences

The present studies consider the influence of exclusion on aggressive behavior depending on the target of the aggression and the gender of the aggressor. Previous studies have shown that after exclusion, aggressive behavior occurs toward the excluder as well as toward innocent bystanders. However, there is also evidence that men have a greater tendency toward direct aggression and women have a greater tendency toward displaced aggression. In Studies 1 (N = 89) and 2 (N = 120), participants were ostracized, in Studies 3 (N = 88) and 4 (N = 133), participants were rejected. Then, aggressive behavior toward the excluder or bystander was measured. The results confirmed the gender differences hypothesis, but only in the case of ostracism. After ostracism, more retaliatory aggression was observed in men, and more displaced aggression was noted in women. Rejection resulted in generalized aggressive behavior directed toward the excluder and the bystander in men and women. The results are discussed in light of Sexual Selection Theory.

A within-person examination of the effect of mentors' daily ostracism on protégés' displaced aggression and in-role performance

Purpose

Drawing on social information processing theory and social comparison theory, we test how mentors' daily ostracism triggers protégés' envy, thus leading to decreased in-role performance and increased displaced aggression.

Design/methodology/approach

Using an experience sampling study across three work weeks, the study provided theoretical and empirical examinations of dynamic, within-person processes related to mentors' ostracism.

Findings

Mentors' daily ostracism triggers protégés' envy, which mediates the effect of mentors' daily ostracism on protégés' displaced aggression and in-role performance. Our findings supported our hypothesis of the buffering effect of mentorship quality on the negative effect of mentors' ostracism on protégés' envy but did not show a significant moderating effect on the mediating effect of protégés' emotions between mentors' daily ostracism and protégés' behaviors.

Research limitations/implications

Our study focused on the victims of mentors' ostracism on a daily basis. We constructed an overarching theoretical model to investigate how, why, and when mentors' daily ostracism leads to protégés' emotional and behavioral variability.

Practical implications

The study provided how to cope with ostracism and envy.

Originality/value

We discuss the theoretical implications of our findings for research on mentors' ostracism, protégés' emotions, and protégés' behaviors.

The brain correlates of hostile attribution bias and their relation to the displaced aggression

BACKGROUND

Hostile attribution bias (HAB) has been considered as a risk factor of various types of psychosocial adjustment problem, and contributes to displaced aggression (DA). The neural basis of HAB and the underlying mechanisms of how HAB predicts DA remain unclear.

METHODS

The current study used degree centrality (DC) and resting-sate functional connectivity (RSFC) to investigate the functional connection pattern related to HAB in 503 undergraduate students. Furthermore, the "Decoding" was used to investigate which psychological components the maps of the RSFC-behavior may be related to. Finally, to investigate whether and how the RSFC pattern, HAB predicts DA, we performed mediation analyses.

RESULTS

We found that HAB was negatively associated with DC in bilateral temporal poles (TP) and positively correlated with DC in the putamen and thalamus; Moreover, HAB was negatively associated with the strength of functional connectivity between TP and brain regions in the theory of mind network (ToM), and positively related to the strength of functional connectivity between the thalamus and regions in the ToM network. The "Decoding" showed the maps of the RSFC-behavior may involve the theory mind, autobiographic, language, comprehension and working memory. Mediation analysis further showed that HAB mediated the relationship between some neural correlates of the HAB and DA.

LIMITATIONS

The current results need to be further tested by experimental methods or longitudinal design in further studies.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings shed light on the neural underpinnings of HAB and provide a possible mediation model regarding the relationships among RSFC pattern, HAB, and displaced aggression.

Providing Solution in an Emergency: COVID-19 and Voice Behavior of Healthcare Professionals

This study investigates the mechanism between idiosyncratic deals (I-deals) and voice behavior, considering display aggression and deontic justice as mediating variables. We collected data from 702 nurses and their immediate supervisors who work with COVID-19 patients through survey questionnaires at two different times, and we analyzed the data using structural equation modeling (SEM). We found that I-deals are significantly associated with deontic justice and voice behavior. Moreover, I-deals are significant but negatively associated with displayed aggression, which is significant and negatively associated with voice behavior. In addition, deontic justice and display aggression mediate the association between I-deals and voice behavior. These findings suggest that the hospitals' top management should provide I-deals to nurses to improve their voice behavior.

Using citation network analysis to enhance scholarship in psychological science: A case study of the human aggression literature

Researchers cannot keep up with the volume of articles being published each year. In order to develop adequate expertise in a given field of study, students and early career scientists must be strategic in what they decide to read. Here we propose using citation network analysis to characterize the literature topology of a given area. We used the human aggression literature as our example. Our citation network analysis identified 15 research communities on aggression. The five largest communities were: "media and video games", "stress, traits and aggression", "rumination and displaced aggression", "role of testosterone", and "social aggression". We examined the growth of these research communities over time, and we used graph theoretic approaches to identify the most influential papers within each community and the "bridging" articles that linked distinct communities to one another. Finally, we also examined whether our citation network analysis would help mitigate gender bias relative to focusing on total citation counts. The percentage of articles with women first authors doubled when identifying influential articles by community structure versus citation count. Our approach of characterizing literature topologies using citation network analysis may provide a valuable resource for psychological scientists by outlining research communities and their growth over time, identifying influential papers within each community (including bridging papers), and providing opportunities to increase gender equity in the field.

Effect of supervisors’ stress on subordinates’ unethical behavior: moderating role of managers’ despotic leadership

Purpose

By applying displaced aggression and conservation of resource theory, this paper aims to investigate the effect of supervisors’ workplace stress over subordinates' unethical behavior through displaced aggression as an underlying mechanism. Moreover, it tests the moderating effect of despotic leadership between supervisors’ workplace stress and displaced aggression.

Design/methodology/approach

The data consists of three hierarchy levels: despotic leadership (top manager), supervisor’s (immediate supervisor/middle manager) workplace stress and displaced aggression and subordinates’ unethical behavior. The data was collected from 80 managers about their workplace stress and displaced aggression besides perceived unethical behavior of their 240 subordinates.

Findings

The data analysis of 80 bank managers of Pakistan about their perception of top managers’ despotic behavior and unethical behavior of their 240 subordinates shows the support for all hypothesized relationships. Supervisors’ workplace stress positively affected their displaced aggression over their subordinates, which motivated subordinates to engage in unethical behavior. Moreover, the findings supported the moderating effect of despotic leadership in the relationship between supervisors’ workplace stress and displaced aggression.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the limited studies on the trickledown displaced aggression phenomenon in the service (banking) sector. Moreover, the manager’s despotic leadership role as a higher-level negative supervisory behavior in increasing the supervisors’ displaced aggression shows the critical aspect in such a stressful workplace situation.

Anger rumination and imagined violence as related to violent behavior before and after psychiatric hospitalization

OBJECTIVE

Anger rumination and imagined violence, in the context of anger/aggression proclivity, are examined for their direct and conjoint associations with violent behavior by psychiatric patients.

METHOD

A secondary analysis of data from the MacArthur Violence Risk Study was conducted with 1136 acute civil commitment patients, assessed during hospitalization and after hospital discharge. Anger/aggression proclivity was assessed with the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale hostility subscale, anger rumination was indexed using items from the Novaco Anger Scale, and imagined violence was measured with Grisso's Schedule of Imagined Violence. Violence, prehospitalization and posthospitalization, was indexed by the MacArthur project measure.

RESULTS

Correlational analyses, mediation analyses, and moderated mediation analyses were conducted. Anger rumination significantly predicted pre- and posthospitalization violence, when controlling for age, sex, race, childhood physical abuse, and anger/aggression proclivity; and it partially mediated the relation between anger/aggression proclivity and violence. Imagined violence and anger rumination were highly inter-related. When imagined violence was added to the regression model, it was a significant predictor of prehospitalization violence; however, it did not moderate the association of anger rumination with pre- or posthospitalization violence.

CONCLUSION

Anger rumination may be a mechanism through which anger activates violent behavior, which has important implications for psychotherapeutic intervention targeting. Future research should investigate the association between anger rumination and imagined violence, with attention given to revenge planning as a link.

The Moderating Role of Surgency, Behavioral Inhibition, Negative Emotionality and Effortful Control in the Relationship between Parenting Style and Children’s Reactive and Proactive Aggression

The principal aim of this study is to explore the moderating role of temperament in the relationship between parenting style and the reactive and proactive aggressive behavior of 8-year-old children. The participants are 279 children (154 boys and 125 girls). To measure reactive and proactive aggression, children completed the reactive and proactive questionnaire (RPQ). Child temperament and parenting styles were evaluated by both parents using the temperament in middle childhood questionnaire (TMCQ) and the parenting styles and dimensions questionnaire (PSDQ). The results revealed that boys with high surgency levels and authoritarian fathers displayed more reactive aggression, whereas behaviorally inhibited boys with mothers who scored low for authoritarian parenting displayed less reactive aggression. Finally, girls with high levels of effortful control and mothers who scored low for authoritative parenting displayed more proactive aggression. The results highlight the value of studying the moderating role of temperament in the relationship between children’s aggressive behavior and both mothers’ and fathers’ parenting styles, and underscores the importance of doing so separately for boys and girls.

Validity and reliability of the Dutch version of the displaced aggression questionnaire

BACKGROUND

Displaced aggression occurs when a person encounters a provoking situation, is unable or unwilling to retaliate against the original provocateur, and subsequently aggresses against a target that is not the source of the initial provocation. The displaced aggression questionnaire (DAQ) was developed to measure individual differences in the tendency to displace aggression.

AIM

To develop a Dutch version of the DAQ and examine relationships between the DAQ and novel individual differences.

METHODS

The Dutch version of the DAQ was created using a back-translation procedure. Undergraduate students (n = 413) participated in the current study. The questionnaires were administered online.

RESULTS

The results confirmed the original three-factor structure and showed good reliability and validity. We also found differential relationships between trait displaced aggression, social anxiety and cognitive distortions.

CONCLUSION

The results may indicate that distinct patterns exist in the development of the different dimensions of trait displaced aggression. This study adds to the growing cross-cultural literature showing the robustness of trait displaced aggression in several different cultures.

Psychometric properties of the Mexican version of the Driver's Angry Thoughts Questionnaire and analysis of invariance with the Romanian and Spanish versions

Research has shown the relevance of three axes in the study of violent behaviour: the emotional axis (anger), the behavioural axis (aggression), and the cognitive axis (hostility or aggressive thinking). In the field of driving, the first two axes have received a lot of attention, whereas the third one has been less studied. The current research aimed to analyse the psychometric properties of the Driver's Angry Thoughts Questionnaire (DATQ) in a Mexican sample. Besides, the structural invariance of this instruments was analysed with respect to both the Spanish and the Romanian versions. A sample of 294 participants taken from the general Mexican drivers population completed a set of measures including the DATQ and the Driving Survey, as a measure of risky driving, aggressive driving, and crash-related events. The results showed that the Mexican version of the DATQ replied the original five-factor structure, maintaining the 65 items likewise in both the Spanish and Romanian versions. Analyses of the invariance suggested the equivalence among the three versions, especially in the case of Mexican-Spanish. Moreover, the five factors were positive and mostly significantly related to each other, and with both risky driving and aggressive driving. Some significant relationships were attained also with crash-related events, especially in the case of those which happened in the last three months (short-termed). Finally, males showed higher scores than females in the five ways of aggressive thinking. Limitations of the study, practical implications and future research are discussed.

Longitudinal relationships among interpersonal openness trait, hostile attribution bias, and displaced aggressive behaviour: Big Five treated as covariates

Displaced aggressive behaviour is associated with many negative outcomes. Although certain personality traits predict displaced aggressive behaviour, the uniquely longitudinal effect of indigenous interpersonal traits on displaced aggressive behaviour is ignored. To address this gap, we explored the longitudinal relationship among an indigenously interpersonal trait of China (interpersonal openness), hostile attribution bias, and self-reported displaced aggressive behaviour. Additionally, we tested whether hostile attribution bias mediated the relationship between interpersonal openness and self-reported displaced aggressive behaviour. The Interpersonal Self-Support Scale for Undergraduate Students, Word Sentence Association Paradigm for Hostility, Displaced Aggression Questionnaire, and the NEO Personality Inventory-3 were administered to 942 undergraduates on two occasions, 6 months apart. A cross-lagged model showed that, after controlling for the Big Five personality traits, interpersonal openness predicted subsequent hostile attribution bias, and hostile attribution bias predicted self-reported displaced aggressive behaviour 6 months later. Hostile attribution bias at time 2 mediated the relationship between interpersonal openness at time 1 and self-reported displaced aggressive behaviour at time 2. These results were consistent with the interpersonal self-support theory's appraisals of interpersonal openness, and they extended the social information processing and general aggression models to explain displaced aggressive behaviour.

Aggression in the Digital Era: Assessing the Validity of the Cyber Motivations for Aggression and Deviance Scale

Empirical studies of adult cyber-aggression are sparse, partly due to a lack of validated assessments. We evaluated a new measure, the Cyber Motivations for Aggression and Deviance (Cyber-MAD) scale, designed to assess the motivations of adult cyber-aggression. Psychometric properties and factor structure were examined across three adult samples who regularly used the internet and reported a history of cyber-aggression. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis of the motivations for cyber-aggression indicated an eight-factor model best fit the data, with separable factors emerging for cyber-aggression motivated by a desire to affiliate with others (Social Bonding), advance or defend political/social issues (Social Activism), act on angry feelings (Reactive Aggression), cope with relationship stress (Interpersonal Distress), satisfy impulsive urges (Impulsivity), adopt a new online persona (Virtual Dissociation), experience excitement (Thrill-Seeking), and seek revenge (Vengeance). Overall, the Cyber-MAD scale showed good internal consistency, structural stability across samples, and construct validity, supporting its initial validation.

Anger rumination and adolescents' cyberbullying perpetration: Moral disengagement and callous-unemotional traits as moderators

Cyberbullying perpetration has become an international public health concern among adolescents. However, it is less clear whether anger rumination potentially increases adolescents' cyberbullying perpetration up to now, and there is a limited understanding of factors that may affect this relationship. Therefore, the current study examined the relationship between anger rumination and adolescents' cyberbullying perpetration and attempts to determine whether moral disengagement and callous-unemotional traits moderated this relationship at the same time. Two thousand four hundred and seven Chinese adolescents completed the measurements of anger rumination, moral disengagement, callous-unemotional traits, and cyberbullying perpetration. Results showed that adolescents with high anger rumination were likely to engage in cyberbullying perpetration, even after controlling age and gender. Compare to low moral disengagement adolescents, high moral disengagement adolescents were more likely to bully others online when they have high levels of anger rumination. Moreover, anger rumination significantly predicted adolescents' cyberbullying perpetration when their moral disengagement and callous-unemotional traits were both high, or one was high. On the contrary, when adolescents' moral disengagement and callous-unemotional traits were both low, this effect became nonsignificant. The current study first explored the relationship between anger rumination and adolescents' cyberbullying perpetration and clarifying the moderating mechanisms underlying this relationship. Adolescents should be taught to manage and express their emotions properly, establish the right moral standards and reduce moral disengagement, as well as care more about others, in order to provide appropriate intervention.

Validation of a Brief Measure of Aggression for Ecological Momentary Assessment Research: The Aggression-ES-A

Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) holds significant potential within aggression research. It affords researchers the possibility of collecting data in ecological context, in near real time. However, there is a lack of measures of aggression that have been developed and validated for use in EMA contexts. In this study, we report on the validation of a measure specifically designed to address this need: the Aggression-ES-A. Building on a previous pilot study, we evaluate the within- and between-person reliability, nomological net and associations with a validated trait measure of aggression of the Aggression-ES-A in a sample of N = 255 emerging adults from the Zurich Project on Social Development from Childhood to Adulthood (z-proso). Using multilevel confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling, we found support for the factorial validity, reliability, and concurrent validity of the Aggression-ES-A scores. Results support the use of the Aggression-ES-A in EMA studies utilizing community-ascertained samples.

The longitudinal relationship between angry rumination and reactive-proactive aggression and the moderation effect of consideration of future consequences-immediate

The idea that influential factors for two subtypes of aggression (reactive and proactive aggression) should be different is popular, but the common influential factors have not been examined. Such an examination could help understand the influential factors of aggression from the perspective of multiple motivations affecting the development of aggressive motivations over time. The present study argued that angry rumination would be a common influential factor for both reactive and proactive aggression. In addition, consideration of future consequences (CFC) may moderate the longitudinal effect of angry rumination on proactive aggression. Two studies were conducted to test these hypotheses. In Study 1, a cross-lagged analysis with a 6-month interval was employed. A total of 505 undergraduate students (46% males) completed the questionnaires twice. Results indicated that after a 6-month period, angry rumination predicted reactive aggression but not proactive aggression. Furthermore, reactive aggression predicted angry rumination over time. In Study 2, a moderation analysis was performed with another 437 participants (130 males). The results partly supported our hypotheses, indicating that CFC-immediate (CFC-I) moderated the longitudinal effect of angry rumination on proactive aggression. The present results extended prior research regarding the predictors of proactive and reactive aggression and may contribute to a greater understanding of the development of aggressive motivation. In addition, our research suggested that high CFC-I may be an important factor for the motivation change from reactive aggression to proactive aggression.

I Will Hurt You for This, When and How Subordinates Take Revenge From Abusive Supervisors: A Perspective of Displaced Revenge

Abusive supervision, defined as subordinates' perception of the extent to which supervisors engage in the sustained display of hostile verbal and non-verbal behaviors, excluding physical contact, is associated with various negative outcomes. This has made it easy for researchers to overlook the possibility that some supervisors regret their bad behavior and express remorse for their actions. Hence, we know little about how subordinates react to the perception that their supervisor is remorseful and how this perception affects the outcomes of supervisors' undesired behavior. Specifically, drawing on the social exchange theory (SET) and displace revenge literature, this study explains how abusive supervision leads to victims' service sabotage behavior. In addition, this study also investigates how perceived supervisors' remorse (PSR) mitigates the adverse effects of abusive supervision. Based on time-lagged, dyadic data (63 supervisors, 212 subordinates) from Chinese individuals, this study found support for all the proposed relationships, i.e., abusive supervision leads to service sabotage through the mediating effect of revenge desire. The findings also conclude that PSR lessens the detrimental effects of abusive supervision on victims' behavior with their customers. Finally, this research contributes to service sabotage literature by highlighting the possibility where abusive supervisors cause service sabotage behavior among victims. This study also shows the importance of PSR's role in decreasing service sabotage behavior exhibited by victims of abusive supervisors in the service sector.

Effect of parent-child relationship on physical aggression among adolescents: Global school-based student health survey

Data from the Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS) conducted in 2009 consisting of 5192 Pakistani school-going adolescents was used to assess the association between parent-child-relationship and physical-aggression. A multilevel-weighted-cox-proportional-algorithm was performed. The overall prevalence of physical-aggression was 41% of which 27% had a poor parent-child relationship. Male adolescents who have a poor bond with their parents had two times the prevalence of physical-aggression (95% CI: 1.82, 3.00) than those female adolescents with the strong parent-child-bonding. The findings of this study implicated that the poor parental bond and the role of gender as potential factors in physically aggressive adolescents.

Neurobiological evidence of sexual dimorphism in limbic circuitry of US Veterans

BACKGROUND

Female Veterans are an increasing patient population in the Department of Veterans Affairs and may have distinct clinical and neurobiological features compared to males.

METHODS

Nineteen female and 19 male Veterans who met diagnostic criteria for depression/posttraumatic stress disorder (MDD/PTSD) completed diagnostic interviews, symptom measures, and resting-state neuroimaging. Participants completed clinical measures of mood and aggression in addition to magnetic resonance imaging on a 3.0 Tesla Siemens scanner.

RESULTS

Females showed increased functional connectivity between the left and right basolateral amygdala (BLA) and the left and right cerebellar and occipital lobes. Sex differences also were evident in the relationship between affective and clinical symptoms with BLA connectivity. Females showed a correlation between revenge planning and decreased connectivity between the left BLA and left occipital lobe and also a correlation between aggression and decreased connectivity between the right BLA and right mid cingulate, right and left medial frontal lobe, and right frontal lobe. Males evidenced a relationship between increased depressive symptoms and increased connectivity between the left BLA and right and left occipital lobe, left calcarine, and other areas associated with visual memory and processing, and interpretation of sensory information. Additionally, males reported higher levels of physical aggression and revenge planning compared to females.

LIMITATIONS

This study included neuroimaging and self-report clinical measures. Further studies will benefit from multimodal measures, including behavioral measures of aggression.

CONCLUSIONS

Results suggest that male Veterans report more aggression than females and symptoms of aggression and mood are differentially related to BLA connectivity by sex.

Individual differences in anger and displaced aggression: The role of metacognitive beliefs and anger rumination

Metacognitive model is a theoretical approach aimed to explain emotion dysregulation and others emotion-related issues, such anger, and aggressive behavior. From this model, people having higher maladaptive metacognitive beliefs (e.g., "I can't control my thoughts") are more likely to activate and maintain anger rumination and, in turn, to experience higher levels of anger and to act aggressively. Preliminary evidence shows the role of metacognitive beliefs on anger rumination and anger levels, whereas no studies have examined its association with aggressive behavior. This study first examined the associations between metacognitive beliefs, anger rumination, anger levels, and the propensity to engage in displaced aggression, and second, the mediation role of anger rumination in the relations among metacognitive beliefs and anger and displaced aggression. Participants were 947 students and non-students from general population recruited in two different countries (Australia and Spain). Correlational analyses revealed a similar pattern of results in the Australian and Spanish sample, with participants having dysfunctional metacognitive beliefs also showing higher anger rumination, higher levels of anger and a higher tendency to act aggressively. Structural equation analyses revealed the associations of metacognitive beliefs with anger levels and displaced aggression was fully mediated by anger rumination in both samples. These results suggest that metacognitive beliefs should be considered in comprehensive models and in the therapy of anger problems and aggression.

Development of the Pedestrian Anger Scale. A Pilot Study

Anger has been closely related to risky behavior, and this last has been related to road accidents. The current research aimed to develop and validate a self-report questionnaire to measure anger in pedestrians (n = 550, 40.73% male) of a wide age rage (14-65 years, M = 27.91, SD = 13.21). The Parallel Analysis showed that the 15 items of the Pedestrian Anger Scale fitted satisfactorily in a four-factor solution: Anger because of obstructions or slowdowns caused by other pedestrians (α = .79), Anger because of hostility from drivers (α = .64), Anger because of bad conditions of the infrastructure (α = .62), and Anger because of dangerous situations caused by vehicles (α = .71). The global scale had also a good internal consistency (α = .83). Further analyses suggested convergent, divergent and incremental validity by correlating the global score of the questionnaire with both risk and anger measures. Middle-aged people (19-30 years) scored higher in anger as pedestrians than eldest (> 45 years), η2 = .02, but no significant effect were obtained by gender. Practical implications from both clinical and road safety viewpoints are discussed, and both future research proposals and limitations of the current study are also commented.