Explaining cross-national differences in peer-directed aggression: A quantitative synthesis

Abstract

A quantitative review was conducted of cross-national studies on peer-directed aggression to determine whether cross-national differences in aggression could be predicted from differences in national values. Cross-national differences on dimensions of cultural-level values derived from the works of Hofstede [1980, 1983], Bond [Chinese Culture Connection, 1987], and Schwartz [1994] were used to predict effect sizes of cross-national differences in aggression for 185 comparisons between pairs of cultures from a total of 36 studies. Each of the three classification systems of national values were found to predict differences in aggression, providing support for their use in future studies. In general, cultures characterized by collectivistic values, high moral discipline, a high level of egalitarian commitment, low uncertainty avoidance, and which emphasize values that are heavily Confucian showed lower levels of aggression than their counterparts. Aggr. Behav. 31:00–00, 2005. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.