Verbal, physical and relational aggression: individual differences in emotion and cognitive regulation strategies

Abstract

Cognitive and emotion regulation strategies play an influential role in the display of aggression, however much of this research has failed to identify specific regulation strategies related to aggression. The study’s objective was to assess how emotional processes and the habitual use of maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies are associated with trait aggression. Participants (N = 306; Mage = 33.79; SD = 13.29), completed a self-report survey battery assessing four subtypes of trait aggression (physical, verbal and romantic relational and peer-directed relational), emotion (anger, hostility) and maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies (blaming others, blaming self, ruminating, catastrophizing). Results indicated that anger and hostility (the emotion based variables) had greater influence on all subtypes of trait aggression (physical, verbal, and relational aggression), compared to cognitive emotion regulation strategies which had less of an influence. Blaming others had a positive association with physical and peer directed relational aggression. Low levels of rumination were associated with physical aggression, while low levels of self-blame were associated with peer directed relational aggression. Findings suggest that maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies have differential impact on different forms of aggressive behavior.