Perceived aggression and predicted counteraggression as a function of sex of dyad participants: When males and females exchange verbal blows

Abstract

Perceived aggression and predicted counteraggression were examined, using a written description of a hypothetical, dyadic verbal interaction. These hypothetical interactions were presented to subjects on a 2 (sex of aggressor)×2 (sex of aggression recipient) factorial design such that each subject read a description of one of four possible combinations of sexes in the dyadic interaction. Female aggressors were not perceived as more aggressive than male aggressors. There was no difference in perceived aggressiveness between a male insulting another male and a male insulting a female. However, a female who insulted another female was perceived as more aggressive than a female who insulted a male. Subjects predicted that a female would elicit less counteraggression than a male, but only when she was interacting with a male. These results were interpreted in terms of sex-related norms mediating the perception and expression of verbal aggression.