The Role of Emotions and Social Information Processing in the Decision Processes of Aggressive Behavior

Takeyasu Kawabata,Ken-Ichi Ohbuchi

doi:10.11648/j.pbs.20190804.12

Abstract

The social information processing (SIP) model is an important element in theoretical accounts of aggressive behavior. Recently, several authors have suggested the integrations of emotions in the SIP model. The purpose of this study was to examine the validity of the revised SIP model of aggression with Japanese young people. In Study 1, 130 male Japanese students were given three scenarios depicting social conflicts and asked to rate the variables comprising the model. Structural equation analysis showed that hostile intent, anger and positive evaluation of aggressive behavior increased aggressive behavior, on the other hand, adaptive emotion regulation strategies decreased aggressive behavior. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that the revised model was significantly better in the prediction of aggression than the original model. In study 2, 82 male Japanese delinquents were given the same materials as study1. The results substantially replicated the results of Study 1, although emotion regulation did not work in this sample. There appear to be two possible interpretations. One possibility is that juvenile delinquents may be likely to engage in aggression because they tend to feel strong anger, and the uncontrolled anger distorts social perception to produce aggressive motivations. The other interpretation is that the research procedures adopted by the study 2 influenced the results. Both studies further indicated that the levels of variables of the revised model were significantly different between high aggressive and low aggressive participants.

Highlights

The original model consists of numbers of cognitive and affective variables, we focused on three cognitive variables, interpretation, response evaluation and the decision of aggressive enactment, and two affective variables, anger and emotion regulation
Upon further examination of the emotional variables comprising the revised social information processing (SIP) model, the present study revealed that aggressive participants registered higher levels of anger but lower levels of emotion regulation than the non-aggressive participants
The perceived pleasure of the provoking person increased the decision of aggressive behavior in juvenile delinquents, indicating that the perception of hostile intent is an instigator of aggression among juvenile delinquents

Summary

Introduction

A social information processing model [2, 3] was proposed to explain the social cognitive processes of children showing poor social competence that was an integration of Flavell’s step theory of social inferences [4], Goldfried and d’Zurilla’s problem-solving strategy training [5], Simon’s [6] and Hayes’ information-processing theories of cognitive problem solving [7], and McFall’s [8, 9] reformation of social skills theory This model posited a sequence of cognitive steps that lead to behavioral responses, including aggression toward others [10]. The hypotheses of Study 2 were the following: the revised SIP model in which affective variables (anger and emotion regulation) are incorporated will explain the decision of aggressive behavior to a greater extent than the original SIP model (Hypothesis 1); highly aggressive delinquents will become angrier and score lower in emotion regulation than less aggressive participants (Hypothesis 2); and highly aggressive delinquents will perceive the other party’s intent to be more hostile and evaluate aggressive behavior more positively than less aggressive participants (Hypothesis 3)

Objectives

Results

Discussion

Conclusion