Cognitively Processing Covert Aggression

Abstract

We explored how people cognitively process interpersonal, covert aggression, which is purposeful behavior motivated by negative intentions toward another yet subtle enough to be nonobvious. We found that people experience cognitive stages of realization, sensemaking, self-monitoring, and script development to decipher and respond to aggressors’ covert behavior. The first phase often occurs after repeated episodes due to the subtle nature of indirect aggression. In the sensemaking phase, targets of aggression socialize the events with their peers and create narratives for why they have become targeted. In the self-monitoring phase, targets evaluate their own behavior in relation to the aggressor’s behavior. In the final phase, targets create behavioral scripts of how to interact with the aggressor. The process we outline establishes a framework for advancing research in covert aggression.