Individual differences in the study of human aggression

Abstract

Excessive concern for simplicity has often led us to underestimate the complexity of aggression. Over the years, several scales related to aggression have been identified and validated both on adults and on children. Ultimately, two main higher order dimensions, emotional responsivity and proneness to aggression, repeatedly emerged in a series of second‐order factor analysis. These dimensions are rather similar to two of the big five factors of personality: neuroticism/emotinal stability and hostility/agreeableness, respectively. Several studies corroborate the plausibility of a higher level bidimensional conceptualization of aggression that, while preserving the heuristic validity of looking for more specific constructs of aggression, can link the field of aggression to the field of personality. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

Individual Differences in Personality Conducive to Engagement in Aggression and Violence

“…Lack of emotional stability and agreeableness were most positively associated with irritability, hostile rumination and moral disengagement in accordance with earlier studies (Caprara et al, 1996b, 1994). Lack of emotional stability and agreeableness did not directly affect EAV, despite their moderate associations contextually and distally.…”

“…Both trait and social cognitive theories have converged in designing the present study whose findings extend previous research regarding the relations between basic traits such as agreeableness and emotional stability, specific personality dispositions such as irritability and hostile rumination, and social cognitive mechanism conducive to self serving distortions, by clarifying the pathways through which the former and the latter may contribute to EAV both cross-sectionally and longitudinally during early adulthood. Lack of emotional stability and agreeableness were most positively associated with irritability, hostile rumination and moral disengagement in accordance with earlier studies (Caprara et al, 1996b(Caprara et al, , 1994. Lack of emotional stability and agreeableness did not directly affect EAV, despite their moderate associations contextually and distally.…”

Individual Differences in Personality Conducive to Engagement in Aggression and Violence

“…Lack of emotional stability and agreeableness were most positively associated with irritability, hostile rumination and moral disengagement in accordance with earlier studies (Caprara et al, 1996b, 1994). Lack of emotional stability and agreeableness did not directly affect EAV, despite their moderate associations contextually and distally.…”

“…Both trait and social cognitive theories have converged in designing the present study whose findings extend previous research regarding the relations between basic traits such as agreeableness and emotional stability, specific personality dispositions such as irritability and hostile rumination, and social cognitive mechanism conducive to self serving distortions, by clarifying the pathways through which the former and the latter may contribute to EAV both cross-sectionally and longitudinally during early adulthood. Lack of emotional stability and agreeableness were most positively associated with irritability, hostile rumination and moral disengagement in accordance with earlier studies (Caprara et al, 1996b(Caprara et al, , 1994. Lack of emotional stability and agreeableness did not directly affect EAV, despite their moderate associations contextually and distally.…”

A Motivational Model of Driving Anger and Aggression

“…Taken together, these results suggest that "road rage" is more often caused by perceiving the actions of other drivers as personal affronts and subsequently retaliating to vindicate one's self-esteem rather than being caused by traffic congestion or general feelings of stress and pressure. These findings are consistent with previous research suggesting that aggression often stems from emotional reactivity (Caprara et al, 1994), perceived threats to self-esteem (Baumeister et al, 2000), and social identity (Tedeschi & Felson, 1994). These findings also are consistent with recent work in self-determination theory, which has shown controlled orientation to be associated with ego-defensive and reactive behavior (e.g., Hodgins & Knee, in press).…”

“…These findings are consistent with previous research suggesting that aggression often stems from emotional reactivity (Caprara et al, 1994), perceived threats to self-esteem (Baumeister et al, 2000), and social identity (Tedeschi & Felson, 1994). These findings also are consistent with recent work in self-determination theory, which has shown controlled orientation to be associated with ego-defensive and reactive behavior (e.g., Hodgins & Knee, in press).…”

Emotional susceptibility trait modulates insula responses and functional connectivity in flavor processing

“…Thirdly, concerning the Five Factor Model of Personality, the low and high ES group also specifically differed with respect to the personality trait of Emotional Stability (but not the other dimensions) as measured by the BFQ and representing the opposite facet of neuroticism (Caprara et al, 1993 ). This is not surprising, since ES represents a lower order temperamental trait related to the neuroticism personality trait (Caprara and Pastorelli, 1989 ; Caprara et al, 1994 ) and is in accordance with a similar trait pattern reported by Iaria et al ( 2008 ). Our data provide more specific information regarding the modulation by personality traits of anterior insula function, in particular, by characterizing participants on ES trait in addition to measures of more general personality traits, like Emotional Stability/Neuroticism.…”

Individual Differences in Personality Conducive to Engagement in Aggression and Violence

“…Lack of emotional stability and agreeableness were most positively associated with irritability, hostile rumination and moral disengagement in accordance with earlier studies (Caprara et al, 1996b, 1994). Lack of emotional stability and agreeableness did not directly affect EAV, despite their moderate associations contextually and distally.…”

“…Both trait and social cognitive theories have converged in designing the present study whose findings extend previous research regarding the relations between basic traits such as agreeableness and emotional stability, specific personality dispositions such as irritability and hostile rumination, and social cognitive mechanism conducive to self serving distortions, by clarifying the pathways through which the former and the latter may contribute to EAV both cross-sectionally and longitudinally during early adulthood. Lack of emotional stability and agreeableness were most positively associated with irritability, hostile rumination and moral disengagement in accordance with earlier studies (Caprara et al, 1996b(Caprara et al, , 1994. Lack of emotional stability and agreeableness did not directly affect EAV, despite their moderate associations contextually and distally.…”

A Motivational Model of Driving Anger and Aggression

“…Taken together, these results suggest that "road rage" is more often caused by perceiving the actions of other drivers as personal affronts and subsequently retaliating to vindicate one's self-esteem rather than being caused by traffic congestion or general feelings of stress and pressure. These findings are consistent with previous research suggesting that aggression often stems from emotional reactivity (Caprara et al, 1994), perceived threats to self-esteem (Baumeister et al, 2000), and social identity (Tedeschi & Felson, 1994). These findings also are consistent with recent work in self-determination theory, which has shown controlled orientation to be associated with ego-defensive and reactive behavior (e.g., Hodgins & Knee, in press).…”

“…These findings are consistent with previous research suggesting that aggression often stems from emotional reactivity (Caprara et al, 1994), perceived threats to self-esteem (Baumeister et al, 2000), and social identity (Tedeschi & Felson, 1994). These findings also are consistent with recent work in self-determination theory, which has shown controlled orientation to be associated with ego-defensive and reactive behavior (e.g., Hodgins & Knee, in press).…”

Emotional susceptibility trait modulates insula responses and functional connectivity in flavor processing

“…Thirdly, concerning the Five Factor Model of Personality, the low and high ES group also specifically differed with respect to the personality trait of Emotional Stability (but not the other dimensions) as measured by the BFQ and representing the opposite facet of neuroticism (Caprara et al, 1993 ). This is not surprising, since ES represents a lower order temperamental trait related to the neuroticism personality trait (Caprara and Pastorelli, 1989 ; Caprara et al, 1994 ) and is in accordance with a similar trait pattern reported by Iaria et al ( 2008 ). Our data provide more specific information regarding the modulation by personality traits of anterior insula function, in particular, by characterizing participants on ES trait in addition to measures of more general personality traits, like Emotional Stability/Neuroticism.…”

Individual Differences in Personality Conducive to Engagement in Aggression and Violence

“…Lack of emotional stability and agreeableness were most positively associated with irritability, hostile rumination and moral disengagement in accordance with earlier studies (Caprara et al, 1996b, 1994). Lack of emotional stability and agreeableness did not directly affect EAV, despite their moderate associations contextually and distally.…”

“…Both trait and social cognitive theories have converged in designing the present study whose findings extend previous research regarding the relations between basic traits such as agreeableness and emotional stability, specific personality dispositions such as irritability and hostile rumination, and social cognitive mechanism conducive to self serving distortions, by clarifying the pathways through which the former and the latter may contribute to EAV both cross-sectionally and longitudinally during early adulthood. Lack of emotional stability and agreeableness were most positively associated with irritability, hostile rumination and moral disengagement in accordance with earlier studies (Caprara et al, 1996b(Caprara et al, , 1994. Lack of emotional stability and agreeableness did not directly affect EAV, despite their moderate associations contextually and distally.…”

A Motivational Model of Driving Anger and Aggression

“…Taken together, these results suggest that "road rage" is more often caused by perceiving the actions of other drivers as personal affronts and subsequently retaliating to vindicate one's self-esteem rather than being caused by traffic congestion or general feelings of stress and pressure. These findings are consistent with previous research suggesting that aggression often stems from emotional reactivity (Caprara et al, 1994), perceived threats to self-esteem (Baumeister et al, 2000), and social identity (Tedeschi & Felson, 1994). These findings also are consistent with recent work in self-determination theory, which has shown controlled orientation to be associated with ego-defensive and reactive behavior (e.g., Hodgins & Knee, in press).…”

“…These findings are consistent with previous research suggesting that aggression often stems from emotional reactivity (Caprara et al, 1994), perceived threats to self-esteem (Baumeister et al, 2000), and social identity (Tedeschi & Felson, 1994). These findings also are consistent with recent work in self-determination theory, which has shown controlled orientation to be associated with ego-defensive and reactive behavior (e.g., Hodgins & Knee, in press).…”

Emotional susceptibility trait modulates insula responses and functional connectivity in flavor processing

“…Thirdly, concerning the Five Factor Model of Personality, the low and high ES group also specifically differed with respect to the personality trait of Emotional Stability (but not the other dimensions) as measured by the BFQ and representing the opposite facet of neuroticism (Caprara et al, 1993 ). This is not surprising, since ES represents a lower order temperamental trait related to the neuroticism personality trait (Caprara and Pastorelli, 1989 ; Caprara et al, 1994 ) and is in accordance with a similar trait pattern reported by Iaria et al ( 2008 ). Our data provide more specific information regarding the modulation by personality traits of anterior insula function, in particular, by characterizing participants on ES trait in addition to measures of more general personality traits, like Emotional Stability/Neuroticism.…”