Longitudinal effect of self‐control on reactive–proactive aggression: Mediating roles of hostile rumination and moral disengagement

Abstract

Self‐control is a well‐known inhibitor of aggression, but the effect of self‐control on different kinds of aggression (such as reactive–proactive aggression) and the underlying mediating mechanisms of these effects are unclear. We developed a mediation model to address these issues. A three‐wave study was conducted with a sample of 1203 qualifying Chinese undergraduates to test the model. The results showed that self‐control at Wave 1 negatively predicted reactive aggression at Wave 3 through mediating effects of hostile rumination and moral disengagement at Wave 2 at the same time, while self‐control at Wave 1 negatively predicted proactive aggression at Wave 3 only through moral disengagement at Wave 2. Furthermore, the longitudinal relationship between hostile rumination and moral disengagement is mutual. The current findings support our hypotheses regarding the mediation model of self‐control inhibiting reactive–proactive aggression and suggest that moral disengagement should be a common and basic variable to predict most kinds of aggression; further, hostile rumination only has a particular effect on reactive aggression. The present study used motivation theory to explain its mediation model, which develops aggressive theory regarding varied common influencing factors and underlying mediating mechanisms of reactive and proactive aggression.

Aggression as successful self‐control

“…On its face, proactive aggression appears to be the self‐controlled form of aggression that is largely absent from the literature. Yet measures of proactive aggression are negatively correlated or uncorrelated with self‐control (Cen et al., 2022; Dambacher et al., 2015; Miller & Lynam, 2006) and positively correlated with trait impulsivity (Cruz et al., 2019; Mathias et al., 2007; Steinberg et al., 2013). It therefore appears that the distinguishing factor between reactive and proactive aggression is not the presence or absence of self‐control.…”

Aggression As Successful Self-Control

“…On its face, proactive aggression appears to be the self-controlled form of aggression that I have argued is largely absent from the literature. Yet most studies demonstrate that proactive aggression is negatively correlated or uncorrelated with self-control (Cen et al, 2022;Miller & Lynam, 2006). It appears that the distinguishing factor between reactive and proactive aggression is not the presence or absence of self-control, so much as it is the presence or absence of immediate provocation and the resulting angry psychological state it elicits.…”

Forgiveness, rumination, and self‐control as the predictors of adolescent life satisfaction: A comparison of two serial mediational models

“…However, the associations among these top‐down life satisfaction variables are complex. There is also evidence supporting the impact of self‐control on rumination by showing that self‐control negatively predicted hostile rumination 6 months later (Cen et al, 2022). This result is consistent with the findings of previous cross‐sectional studies in which self‐control negatively associated with hostile rumination (Liu et al, 2018; Zheng et al, 2019).…”