Hostile Behavior Research Articles

Students Achievement Strategies, Ego Strength, Hostility and the Role of Perceived Parenting on School Environment

School environment is associated with ego strength and hostility, while perceived parenting modifies the relationship between ego strength and hostility. School Connectedness Scale, The Strategy and Attribution Questionnaire, The Parental Bonding Inventory, Barron’s Ego Strength Scale, and The Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory were used for assessing school environment, students' achievement strategies, perceived parenting, ego strength, and hostility. A structural equational model was administered to investigate the mediation effect of perceived parenting. The findings indicated that school environment was significantly associated with ego strength B = 0.28, p< 0.001, and hostility B = 0.34, p< 0.001. Perceived parenting mediates the relationship between ego strength B = 0.375, p< 0.001, and hostility B = 0.136, p< 0.05. Perceived parenting plays a crucial role in student achievement strategies and developing an impactful ego strength and helps reduce hostile behaviors while positive parenting modifies the association of ego strength and hostility in the school environment.

Does scarcity induce hostility? An experimental investigation of common-pool resources

Climate change is leading to an increased scarcity of resources such as freshwater, energy, arable land and wildlife. This is perceived as a major security threat. However, the literature remains unclear on whether scarcity mitigates or exacerbates conflict. We design a novel laboratory experiment to investigate hostile behavior under scarcity. Participants interact repeatedly in a dynamic common-pool resource (CPR) and a joy-of-destruction game. The experiment distinguishes between two types of scarcity: Endogenous scarcity in the form of a deliberate human choice to overexploit resources and exogenous scarcity in the form of adverse environmental conditions. Our results show that endogenous scarcity exacerbates hostility. We trace this to participants being guided by negative reciprocity while finding no support for inequality aversion. The results indicate that to avoid hostility, policy makers will have to reduce human-induced scarcity. However, our results also show that exogenous scarcity mitigates hostility. This is in line with a vast body of literature from psychology, anthropology and biology finding increased levels of cooperation for all forms of life under environmental distress. It suggests that managing perceptions around increasing scarcities could be a second potential avenue for policy action.

War as a game: the pleasurable and playful aspects of the Italian Arditi’s military experiences in the First World War

This article proposes that several First World War Italian shock troops known as Arditi were strongly influenced in their wartime combat activities by fun and play. Even before becoming stormtroopers, various soldiers were guided by a tendency to see the Great War as ludic or athletic event. Such proclivity stemmed from these servicemen’s distinctive political cultures and ideologies. As a result of their viewpoints, these servicemen had already fought intensely in the initial stages of their military service. Additionally, the Italian army vastly increased the combat effectiveness and violent tendencies of recruits to the Arditi corps by making recourse to fun and play while training these prospective stormtroopers. An intense sports-based drilling regimen improved soldiers’ physical agility, while also nurturing their instinctive hostile behaviour. This article shows how Italian soldiers’ cultural and ideological milieus and military drilling increased their fighting power, including their propensity to enact violence against enemies.

Social cure model: testing the link between identity centrality and body appreciation in diverse sexual orientation and gender identity groups

BackgroundThe level of experienced sociocultural pressure to have an idealized body can vary depending on a person’s gender identity and sexual orientation. The current study explored whether differences in levels of body appreciation among people with different sexual orientations and gender identities vary because of differing levels of experienced pressure by in-group members and varying levels of experienced hostile behaviors because of their looks or body. Thereby, the study tests the social cure model, according to which high levels of identity centrality are associated with better mental health.MethodsAn online cross-sectional questionnaire study was conducted with 1,587 people (51.3% cisgender women, 39.3% cisgender men, 9.5% non-binary; 52.9% identified as heterosexual, 27.7% identified as bisexual/pansexual, 11.2% identified as gay/lesbian, 8.2% identified as asexual/demi/queer; Mage = 32.9, SD = 12.6) from German-speaking countries. Variables were assessed with German-language versions of the Multidimensional and Multicomponent Measure of Social Identification, Body Appreciation Scale-2, the Perceived Stigmatization Questionnaire, and the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-4, revised. A manifest-path model was calculated.ResultsNon-binary persons reported lower levels of body appreciation than did cisgender men and sexual minority persons reported lower levels of body appreciation than did heterosexual persons. Furthermore, sexual minority persons experienced more hostile behaviors directed towards them because of their looks or body than did heterosexual persons. Similarly, non-binary persons experienced more hostile behaviors than did men. Non-binary persons were subjected to lower levels of in-group pressure than were men. Gay/lesbian persons and asexual persons were subjected to lower levels of in-group pressure than were heterosexual persons. More hostile behaviors and stronger in-group pressure were related to lower body appreciation. In cisgender women and men indirect links revealed associations between strong identity centrality and low levels of body appreciation through the mediator of high in-group pressure.ConclusionsData in sexual minority individuals or non-binary persons supported the social cure model, according to which persons can find support and validation for their looks and body from in-group members. In cisgender women and men, strong identification as a woman or man can be related to stronger in-group pressure and in turn to lower body appreciation.

The virtual disengagement hypothesis: A neurophysiological framework for reduced empathy on social media.

Social media is a hotbed of interpersonal conflict and aggression. Platforms such as Twitter and Instagram are used by more than 62% of the global population, facilitating billions of user interactions every day. However, many of these exchanges involve hostile, insensitive, and antisocial behaviors. This raises the question: is empathy blunted on social media? Substantial evidence demonstrates that humans tend to behave more rudely in virtual settings, but considering the scarcity of physiological data collected under these circumstances, it remains unclear how the neural systems guiding social cognition and empathy may function differently in online interactions. We propose the "Virtual Disengagement Hypothesis," a conceptual framework to explain the prevalence of hostility online. It posits that interactions occurring on social media omit social cues that facilitate the assessment of a social partner's affective state, such as facial expressions and vocal tone, and thus fail to sufficiently recruit brain circuitry involved in empathy, such as the anterior cingulate cortex, insula, and prefrontal cortex. Additionally, interactions on social media occur asynchronously and in a "replayed" context, which may further limit recruitment of empathy systems. As a result of this diminished sensitivity to others' states, users may be predisposed to inconsiderate or outright antisocial behaviors. Given the massive and growing base of users on these platforms, we urge researchers to expand efforts that focus on neuroimaging in virtual settings with a particular emphasis on developing social media-relevant behavioral designs.

No More the Nice Guy: Coping with Abusive Supervision through Service Sabotage Behaviours

‘Atithi Devo Bhav’, implying that guests must be treated as Gods, is the philosophical belief of Indian society indicating the importance of treating the customers with utmost respect and courtesy. The current study examines service sabotage behaviours by utilizing time-lagged method to collect data in three waves from 332 employees from Indian hotel industry. The study highlights the effects of abusive supervision on the employees who perceive disrespect, public humiliation or rude supervisory behaviours towards them as breach of psychological contract, and they retaliate by displaying deviant workplace behaviour such as service sabotage. The unique proposition of the research is to investigate the sequential mediating role of psychological contract violation and retaliation intention on the relationship between abusive supervision and service sabotage. The research utilizes psychological contract theory and frustration–aggression theory to draw logical inferences from the findings. Findings indicate that when employees perceive mistreatment or injustice, they experience psychological contract violation that instigates an urge to retaliate against the unfair treatment by engaging in negative service behaviours, for example, sabotage. Therefore, the hospitality organizations must implement practices and processes to take care of any unjust, unfair or hostile behaviour at play in the organization, as the success of the industry is dependent on the service quality and frontline employees’ encounters with the customer. The study provides some interesting and useful managerial and theoretical implications.

Hostile Workplace Behaviors and its Relation to Job Commitment among Nurses.

Hostile Workplace Behaviors and its Relation to Job Commitment among Nurses.

Nexus between Despotic Leadership, Faculty Performance, and Faculty Behavior: A Case of a Pakistani Public University

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of despotic leadership on the output of university faculty members. The study was conducted by using a mixed methods technique in accordance with the pragmatism paradigm. The population of the study was the 74 permanent faculty members of the one Public Sector University's two campuses located in Lahore, Pakistan. A semi-structured interview protocol was used to interview 15 faculty members through a convenient sampling technique. Thematic analysis was used to examine the qualitative data, while descriptive analysis percentage (%) and frequency(f) were used to examine the quantitative data. The results demonstrate that faculty members may become uncomfortable and agitated due to the hostile behavior of the HODs, which could lead to a negative work environment and a decreased desire to share ideas. The unfavorable work environment and decreased job satisfaction are caused by the bad behavior of HODs. The HODs' menacing actions have a clear detrimental impact on staff members' performance, foster a hostile work atmosphere, and jeopardize faculty members' mental health. Based on the research findings, it is recommended that HODs should behave civilly toward faculty members. The HODs could also receive leadership training from the experts.

Psychological and gender specific correlates of aggressive behaviour in military personnel

Participation in conflicts can have a significant impact on the manifestation of aggression among military personnel, especially those who have had intensive combat experience in war zones. The key aspects of gender psychology and the influence of military factors on aggressive behaviour are considered. The term “gender-based aggression” in military personnel is proposed, which reflects the concept that describes the difference in the manifestations of aggressive behaviour depending on the gender characteristics of a person. It is used to analyse and understand how gender and psychological factors influence the perception and expression of aggression among men and women, particularly in the context of military settings. The purpose of the study is to identify and analyse the psychological and gender factors associated with aggressive behaviour of military personnel. The study was conducted with 89 combatants, including 47 men (first group) and 42 women (second group). To achieve this goal, the Aggression Level Questionnaire by A. Bass and A. Darkey. The mathematical and statistical processing of the results was carried out using Student's t-test for independent samples and Fisher’s angular transformation criterion (φ). It has been empirically found that men have a higher tendency to indirect aggression and a high level of mistrust, while women show less physical and verbal aggression. The aggression index scores of both groups of servicemen are within acceptable norms, which indicates that the overall level of aggression among them is satisfactory. However, the hostility index score was higher than the normative values in both groups, indicating an increased tendency to hostile behaviour and conflict among servicemen. The results emphasise the importance of an individual approach to psychological support for servicemen and women, taking into account their gender identity. The findings of the study can serve as a basis for developing effective strategies for managing stress and conflict in the military environment and are an incentive for further research in the field of gender psychology.

Sözen, H. C. and Basım, H. N (Eds.), Dark Sides of Organization Life: Hostility, Rivalry, Gossip, Envy, and Other Difficult Behaviors

No abstract available

Playing mean: Does it imply a mean player?

Games allow players significant freedom to express themselves and behave as they see fit. As a consequence, in some games more than others, we may encounter hostile behavior. We explored whether players behaving in this manner are simply expressing their personality traits in the game or, rather, adopting this playstyle regardless of them. We conducted a three-year study observing over 250 people playing the turn-based, player-versus-player strategy game Diplomacy. Subjects were asked to fill out a questionnaire to determine their score on the social dominance orientation (SDO) scale—with a return rate of approx. 54%—while their in-game playstyle was analyzed for manifestations of hostile behavior. We found no statistically significant correlation between hostile in-game behavior and participants’ SDO score. However, we did find significant positive correlations between some aspects of this behavior and their success.

Ethnic Reading of ‘The Jews’ in John 8:31–59 Through Durkheimian and Barthian Sociological Lenses

This study undertakes an ethnic analysis of ‘the Jews’ in John 8:31−59, using Durkheimian and Barthian sociological lenses. What social roles are associated with ‘the Jews’ ethnic markers, and how do they shape their collective behavior or distinguish them from Jesus? Informed by Emile Durkheim’s functionalist approach to social facts and Frederick Barth’s theory of social organization and ethnic boundaries, the paper proposes that in John 8:31−59, the ethnic criteria of ‘the Jews’ operate both as external forces uniting them as a collective and as norms dictating their hostile behavior against Jesus. These markers create boundaries between Jesus and ‘the Jews,’ shaping their interactions within the narrative. Furthermore, by presenting these ethnic indicators as social facts and ethnic boundaries, the study portrays ‘the Jews’ as a social entity beyond mere ethnicity. The paper enhances understanding of identity formation and intergroup dynamics globally.

Why do nurses leave their jobs? Understanding person-related hostility in the healthcare sector of Pakistan.

Nursing is considered indigent and oppressed because of uneven organizational hierarchies and unsatisfactory work environments. This study aimed to highlight the critical aspects of organizational culture in the nursing profession and, in general, those propagating hostile behaviours among female nursing staff that result in dissatisfaction and intention to leave the organization. A quantitative research approach was applied and a survey research strategy was used to collect the data. Convenience sampling was applied and data were collected from female nurses who were easily accessible and willing to participate in the research. A total of 707 questionnaires were collected from 14 hospitals and the data was analyzed using SmartPLS 4. Lack of administrative support and gender discrimination positively affected person-related hostility. In contrast, person-related hostility mediated the relationship between gender discrimination and lack of administrative support with the intention to leave. Direct or indirect person-related hostility factors can severely damage organizational reputation and quality and may cause the loss of employees with specific organizational knowledge and exposure. Losing an experienced employee to a newer one cannot replace the costs incurred on hiring, training, and providing knowledge to older employees. HR managers in organizations should devise strategies and policies that allow for the timely resolution of issues of nursing staff based on fair work performance.

Authentic leaders, energized employees? Indirect beneficial and adverse effects of authentic leadership on intrinsic motivation and exhaustion

AbstractCurrent research is unclear regarding the associations between authentic leadership (AL), intrinsic motivation, and exhaustion. Following self‐determination theory (SDT), we hypothesize that AL indirectly increases intrinsic motivation and decreases exhaustion by increasing basic psychological need satisfaction (BPNS). We propose that these processes occur through increased AL in leader‐employee interactions and a higher average display of AL. To test these hypotheses, we conducted three studies using a mixed‐methods approach. Results of Study 1 (cross‐sectional survey; N = 597) supported the indirect effects of AL on employees' intrinsic motivation and exhaustion via BPNS. Study 2 (experience sampling; two samples, replication, Ns = 63; 128 observations = 231; 460) supported the indirect effects of AL experiences in daily leader‐employee interactions. Study 3 (semi‐structured interviews; N = 38) provided additional support for the proposed effects. However, Study 3 also showed potential adverse effects of AL. Some employees perceived a fully open leader as irritating, exhausting, and damaging to the job climate, particularly, when leaders violated role expectations and engaged in hostile behaviors. As these adverse effects were rare, we conclude that the beneficial effects of increased and higher average AL on employees' BPNS, motivation, and exhaustion outweigh the adverse effects.

Evaluarea programului de intervenție psihologică aplicat persoanelor cu epilepsie farmacorezistentă

Drug-resistant epilepsy presents a myriad of psychological challenges, including cognitive decline, emotional and behavioral disturbances, loss of autonomy, stigma, psychosocial dysfunction, and a heightened risk of trauma and premature death, all of which significantly diminish the quality of life. This article aims to identify effective strategies for working with individuals affected by drug-resistant epilepsy and to develop a targeted psychological intervention program tailored to their unique needs. Six subjects diagnosed with drug-resistant epilepsy participated in this program. The results revealed significant improvements across multiple do mains following the intervention. There were notable enhancements in general cognitive functioning, reductions in levels of depression and anxiety, and decreases in aggressive and hostile behaviors. These positive outcomes collectively contributed to an overall increase in the quality of life for individuals grappling with drug-resistant epilepsy.

Evolution of work conditions for employees driving for work in France based on data from the 2003, 2010 and 2017 SUMER surveys (Surveillance Médicale des expositions aux risques Professionnels)

Introduction: The occupational road-accident risk on public roads and the work conditions for professional driving is still an important issue in occupational health despite lower road-accident rates. This study presents the evolution over time of the work-related constraints for these employees based on the Sumer surveys carried out in 2003, 2010 and 2017. Method: Data from the 2010 and 2017 surveys were restricted to match the scope of the 2003 survey in order to enable prevalence data to be compared in equivalent populations. The main variable of interest was “driving (car, truck, bus, and other vehicles) on public thoroughfares” for work (during the last week of work: yes/no). Work time characteristics, work rhythm, autonomy and scope for initiative, collective work group, standards and evaluations variables were completed by the occupational health physicians. A self-administered questionnaire was also provided to employees and contained the Job Content Questionnaire, which assesses decision latitude, social support and psychological demands, the reward scale of Siegrist questionnaire, the hostile behaviour with inspired questions for Leymann, sick leave and work accidents during the past 12 months and job satisfaction. Finally, prevention in the workplace was also completed by the occupational health physicians. Results: About 25% of employees in France were exposed to work-related driving in 2017, which was stable in comparison with 2003 and 2010. However, the population was older and there were more females, more often from the clerical staff/middle manager category and working in companies with fewer than 10 employees. Employees exposed to work-related driving were also more frequently exposed to sustained work schedules and physical constraints, but less exposed to psychosocial risks. Conclusions: The percentage of employees exposed to occupational road accident risk, i.e., exposure to work-related driving, remained stable at about 25% in 2017 compared with previous surveys. These employees were also more frequently exposed to sustained work schedules and physical constraints, but less exposed to psychosocial risks. Practical Applications: Prevention campaigns on work-related road accident risk should be provided to all employees in all companies since all jobs can be concerned.

In People who Identify as Gender Minority People the Social Cure Model and in People who Identify as LGBTQ* People the Intragroup Status and Health Model might Explain the Link between Identity Centrality and Body Appreciation

IntroductionSexual and gender minority (SGM) people are often found to have lower levels of body appreciation than do cis-heteronormative people.Objectives The current study utilizes the social cure model and the intragroup status and health model to investigate whether identification with a SGM social group and identity centrality (i.e., the degree to which a specific social identity is important to an individual) is linked to experiences of hostile behaviors because of a person’s looks or body and consequently, to body appreciation.Methods A cross-sectional online-questionnaire study was conducted with 1,680 German-speaking participants (49.2% cisgender women, 37.7% cisgender men, 9.0% non-binary, 4.1% transgender; Mage = 32.7, SD = 12.5). The Multidimensional and Multicomponent Measure of Social Identification, the Body Appreciation Scale-2, the Perceived Stigmatization Questionnaire and the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-4, revised were used. A manifest path model was calculated.ResultsPeople who identified as gender minority (GM) people and LGBTQ* people reported lower levels of body appreciation. Sexual minority (SM) individuals who identified with a social group other than LGBTQ* people reported levels of body appreciation similar to those of individuals who identified as women. Individuals who identified as GM people experienced fewer instances of hostile behaviors because of their looks or body the higher their level of identity centrality was. On the other hand, individuals who identified as LGBTQ* people more frequently encountered hostile behaviors because of their looks or body when their identity centrality was strong. Frequent experiences of hostile behaviors because of a person’s looks or body was linked to poor body appreciation in all social groups.Conclusions Identity centrality might help alleviate experiences of discrimination, especially in people who identify as GM people, as the social cure model suggests. In line with the intragroup status and health model, individuals who strongly identify as LGBTQ* people might be more visible as SM people and experience more discrimination than do SM people who identify with another social group.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Przemoc rówieśnicza motywowana uprzedzeniami wobec mniejszości. O roli pochodzenia imigranckiego i procesów międzygrupowych w wyjaśnianiu i ograniczaniu zjawiska

Societies are becoming more ethnically and culturally diverse. This growing diversity offers new opportunities for both individuals and societies. At the same time, it also creates challenges such as a polarized political climate and an increase in hostile behaviour based on prejudice, such as ethnic discrimination and peer violence against immigrants. Recent research on the forms of bullying of minority groups by peers suggests that prejudice has some influence on specific patterns of bullying, but not enough attention has yet been given to this either in the conceptualization of bullying itself or in the design of intervention and prevention programs. It is therefore suggested that further research and the design of prevention programs could be targeted to give more attention to prejudice as one of the factors underlying this form of peer violence. The article is of a review nature and has been organized in a conceptual way, i.e. the focus is on prejudice-based bullying, which is the subject of research, but at the same time, arguments for the presented point of view will be presented to justify further empirical research in this problem area.

Application of the integrated threat theory to conservation law enforcement.

Interactions between law enforcement agents in conservation (e.g., rangers) and illegal resource users (e.g., illegal hunters) can be violent and sometimes fatal, which negatively affects conservation efforts and people's well-being. Models from social psychology, such as integrated threat theory (ITT) (intergroup interactions shape intergroup emotions, prejudices and perceived threats leading to hostile attitudes or behaviors between groups), are useful in addressing such interactions. Conservation approaches relying mainly on law enforcement have never been investigated using this framework. Using a structured questionnaire, we collected data from 282 rangers in protected and unprotected areas (n=50) in northern Iran. We applied Bayesian structural equation modeling in an assessment of rangers' affective attitudes (i.e., emotions or feelings that shape attitudes toward a person or object) toward illegal hunters in an ITT framework. Rangers' positive perceptions of illegal hunters were negatively associated with intergroup anxiety (emotional response to fear) and negative stereotypes about a hunter's personality, which mediated the relationship between negative contact and affective attitudes. This suggests that negative contact, such as verbal abuse, may lead rangers to perceive illegal hunters as arrogant or cruel, which likely forms a basis for perceived threats. Rangers' positive contact with illegal hunters, such as playing or working together, likely lowered their perceived realistic threats (i.e., fear of property damage). Perceived realistic threats of rangers were positively associated with negative contacts (e.g., physical harm). The associations we identified suggest that relationships based on positive interactions between rangers and illegal hunters can reduce fear and prejudice. Thus, we suggest that rangers and hunters be provided with safe spaces to have positive interactions, which may help lower tension and develop cooperative conservation mechanisms.

Assessing the determinants of crash propensity using structural equation modeling: Role of distractions caused by fellow drivers

Introduction: Aggressive behavior of drivers is a source of crashes and high injury severity. Aggressive drivers are part of the driving environment, however, excessive aggressive driving by fellow drivers may take the attention of the recipient drivers away from the road resulting in distracted driving. Such external distractions caused by the aggressive and discourteous behavior of other road users have received limited attention. These distractions caused by fellow drivers (DFDs) may agitate recipient drivers and ultimately increase crash propensity. Aggressive driving behaviors are quite common in South Asia and, thus, it is necessary to determine their contribution to distractions and crash propensity. Method: Our study aimed to evaluate the effects of DFDs using primary data collected through a survey conducted in Lahore, Pakistan. A total of 801 complete responses were obtained. Various hypotheses were defined to explore the associations between the latent factors such as DFDs, anxiety/stress (AS), anxiety-based performance deficits (APD), hostile behavior (HB), acceptability of vehicle-related distractions (AVRD), and crash propensity (CP). Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed as a multivariate statistical technique to test these hypotheses. Results: The results supported the hypothesis that DFDs lead to AS among recipient drivers. DFDs and AS were further found to have positive associations with APDs. Whereas, there was a significant negative association between DFD, AS, and AVRD. As hypothesized, DFD and AS had positive associations with CP, indicating that distractions caused by aggressive behaviors leads to stress and consequently enhances crash propensity. Practical applications: The results of this study provide a statistically sound foundation for further exploration of the distractions caused by the aggressive behaviors of fellow drivers. Further, the results of this study can be utilized by the relevant authorities to alter aggressive driving behaviors and reduce DFDs.