Cross‐cultural sex differences in situational triggers of aggressive responses

Abstract

This paper examines male and female individual differences in situational triggers of aggressive responses (STAR) in three countries as well as cross-cultural sex differences in trait aggression (aggression questionnaire, AQ). Convenience sampling was employed (university students) for the descriptive correlational study (Poland N = 300, 63% female, mean age 21.86, SD = 2.12; UK N = 196, 60% female, mean age 20.48, SD = 3.79; Greece N = 299, 57% female, mean age 20.71, SD = 4.42). The results showed that the STAR scale is an equivalent construct across all three countries. Overall, females were more sensitive to both provocation (SP) and frustration (SF) than males. When controlling for trait aggression, Polish and Greek females scored similarly in SP and higher than UK females. No sex differences in SP or SF were found in the UK sample. Additionally, Polish participants scored the highest in SP. Furthermore, when trait aggression was removed, the Greek participants were most sensitive to frustration, whereas Polish and English participants' SF did not differ. We discuss the results with regard to intercultural differences between investigated countries.

Stress and Sensitivity to Frustration Predicting Depression among Young Adults in Poland and Korea - Psychological and Philosophical Explanations

“…Sensitivity to frustration, which differs cross-culturally, reflects proneness to feel particularly aggressive in response to having one's goals blocked and it was significantly associated with tense arousal (Zajenkowska et al 2013;Zajenkowska et al 2015). A cross-cultural study showed that higher sensitivity to frustration was more typical for collectivistic countries (Zajenkowska et al 2014). Due to many cultural restrains in collectivistic countries, like for example Korea, expressing negative emotions is frowned upon as it destroys social harmony (Markus and Kitayama 1991) and blocking anger in reverse is related to depression (McWilliams 2011).…”

Coffee consumption and propensity to experience aggressive feelings in provoking and frustrating situations

“…The internal consistency of the STAR dimensions in the present study was high in both Poland (α = .78 for SP and α =.77 for SF) and Greece (α = .82 and α = .80, respectively). A previous study supported factor equivalence crossculturally (across Poland, Greece and the UK, Zajenkowska et al, 2014); thus the constructs involved are considered similar across Poland and Greece for the purposes of our study. Additionally, a question regarding the number of coffee mugs per day was asked and the answers were used to determine coffee drinking status: drinkers (drinking at least one cup a day) vs. non drinkers.…”

“…In the present study we hypothesize that the abovementioned interrelationships between caffeine and anxiety may be generalized to propensity to feel aggressive, as the idea that anxiety and anger might be related states, evoked by the same dangerous event, has been discussed for example by Berkowitz and HarmonJones (2004). Furthermore, we expect ed that sex may moderate the association between coffee consumption and feelings of aggression given that females present higher levels of anxiety (Bekker & van MensVerhulst, 2007), SF and SP (Zajenkowska et al, 2014). Finally, since sensitivity to caffeine and anxiety is biologically determined, the differences between countries should not be pronounced regard…”

Be Careful What You Wish For! Desired and Actual Behavior Inconsistency in Frustrating and Provoking Situations as Predictors of Depression

“…SP correlates positively with physical and verbal aggression and with the tendency to act aggressively towards those who provoke (Lawrence, 2006;Lawrence & Hutchinson, 2013). Some studies show that women are more sensitive to provocations than men (Zajenkowska, Mylonas, Lawrence, Konopka, & Rajchert, 2014). However, at the same time, women are not only perceived as less aggressive but also actually behave less aggressively (Archer, 2004).…”