Reactive-Proactive Aggression Questionnaire Research Articles

Presence and Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences and Reflective Functioning on Aggression in Adults With Antisocial Behaviour.

This cross-sectional study investigated the relationship between the presence and impact of ACEs with both reactive and proactive aggression, and the possible moderating role of mentalization (operationalized as reflective functioning) in these expected relationships. Sixty-five inpatient and outpatient adults with any kind of antisocial behaviour completed the Dutch version of the Traumatic Experiences Checklist, the Reactive-Proactive Aggression Questionnaire, and the Adult Attachment Interview with the use of the Reflective Functioning Scale. Preliminary analysis showed a remarkably high level of ACEs, and a relatively high reported impact of these experiences. We found a positive relationship between the total presence of ACEs (including childhood maltreatment and adverse household factors), and both reactive and proactive aggression. We also found positive relationships between the experienced impact of these ACEs and both reactive and proactive aggression. Regarding childhood maltreatment in family of origin, we did not find a correlation between the presence of these experiences and respectively reactive and proactive aggression. However, we found a correlation between the impact of childhood maltreatment and reactive aggression. These results suggest that in addition to the cumulative experience of ACEs, the subjective burden of these experiences on individuals must not be underestimated in case of aggression. Additional moderation analysis showed no differences in these relationships in case of less developed versus medium-high developed reflective functioning. The findings substantiate the importance of early prevention and treatment programs with focus on ACEs to possibly reduce aggression.

Exaggerated sensitivity to threat and reduced medial prefrontal engagement during threat generalization in reactive aggressive adolescents

Aggressive adolescents tend to exhibit abnormal fear acquisition and extinction, and reactive aggressive adolescents are often more anxious. However, the relationship between fear generalization and reactive aggression (RA) remains unknown. According to Reactive-Proactive Aggression Questionnaire (RPQ) scores, 61 adolescents were divided into two groups, namely, a high RA group (N = 30) and a low aggression (LA) group (N = 31). All participants underwent three consecutive phases of the Pavlovian conditioning paradigm (i.e., habituation, acquisition, and generalization), and neural activation of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) was assessed by functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). The stimuli were ten circles with varying sizes, including two conditioned stimuli (CSs) and eight generalization stimuli (GSs). A scream at 85 dB served as the auditory unconditioned stimulus (US). The US expectancy ratings of both CSs and GSs were higher in the RA group than in the LA group. The fNIRS results showed that CSs and GSs evoked lower mPFC activation in the RA group compared to the LA group during fear generalization. These findings suggest that abnormalities in fear acquisition and generalization are prototypical dysregulations in adolescents with RA. They provide neurocognitive evidence for dysregulated fear learning in the mechanisms underlying adolescents with RA, highlighting the need to develop emotional regulation interventions for these individuals.

Cortical volume alterations in the limbic network in adolescents with high reactive aggression.

Previous studies show aggression-related structural alterations in frontal and limbic brain regions. Most studies have focused on overall aggression, instead of its subtypes, and on specific regions instead of networks. This study aims to identify both brain networks and regions that are associated with reactive and proactive subtypes of aggression. Structural MRI data were collected from 340 adolescents (125 F/215 M) with a mean age of 16.29 (SD = 1.20). Aggression symptomology was indexed via the Reactive Proactive Aggression Questionnaire (RPQ). Freesurfer was used to estimate Cortical Volume (CV) from seven networks and regions within specific networks associated with aggression. Two multivariate analyses of covariance (MANCOVAs) were conducted on groups for low versus higher reactive and proactive RPQ scores. Our reactive aggression MANCOVA showed a main effect in CV [F(14,321) = 1.935, p = 0.022,ηp2 = 0.078] across all the 7-Networks. Unpacking this main effect revealed significant volumetric differences in the right Limbic Network (LN) (p = 0.029) and the Temporal Pole (p = 0.011), where adolescents in the higher reactive aggression group showed higher cortical volumes. Such findings are consistent with region/voxel-specific analyses that have associated atypical structure within the LN and reactive aggression. Moreover, the temporal pole is highly interconnected with regions important in the regulation and initiation of reactive aggression.

Randomized controlled trial of individualized arousal-biofeedback for children and adolescents with disruptive behavior disorders (DBD)

Disruptive behavior disorders [including conduct disorder (CD) and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD)] are common childhood and adolescent psychiatric conditions often linked to altered arousal. The recommended first-line treatment is multi-modal therapy and includes psychosocial and behavioral interventions. Their modest effect sizes along with clinically and biologically heterogeneous phenotypes emphasize the need for innovative personalized treatment targeting impaired functions such as arousal dysregulation. A total of 37 children aged 8–14 years diagnosed with ODD/CD were randomized to 20 sessions of individualized arousal biofeedback using skin conductance levels (SCL-BF) or active treatment as usual (TAU) including psychoeducation and cognitive–behavioral elements. The primary outcome was the change in parents´ ratings of aggressive behavior measured by the Modified Overt Aggression Scale. Secondary outcome measures were subscales from the Child Behavior Checklist, the Inventory of Callous-Unemotional traits, and the Reactive-Proactive Aggression Questionnaire. The SCL-BF treatment was neither superior nor inferior to the active TAU. Both groups showed reduced aggression after treatment with small effects for the primary outcome and large effects for some secondary outcomes. Importantly, successful learning of SCL self-regulation was related to reduced aggression at post-assessment. Individualized SCL-BF was not inferior to active TAU for any treatment outcome with improvements in aggression. Further, participants were on average able to self-regulate their SCL, and those who best learned self-regulation showed the highest clinical improvement, pointing to specificity of SCL-BF regulation for improving aggression. Further studies with larger samples and improved methods, for example by developing BF for mobile use in ecologically more valid settings are warranted.

성인의 적대적 귀인편향과 부정 긴급성이 반응적 공격성에 미치는 영향

Objectives The purposes of this study were to investigate the mediation role of anger rumination between hostile attribution bias and reactive aggression as well as negative urgency and reactive aggression. Through this, we tried to establish an empirical basis for intervening in anger rumination to reduce reactive aggression.
 Methods For this purpose, 449 adults who live in Republic of Korea completed Attribution and Self-Target perception, Urgency, Premeditation, Perseverance, Sensation seeking, Positive urgency(UPPS-P), Korean version of Anger Rumination Scale(K-ARS), Reactive-Proactive Aggression Questionnaire(RPQ). After that, structural equation analysis was conducted to confirm the mediating effect of anger rumination in their relationship between hostile bias attribution, negative urgency, and reactive aggression.
 Results The study found that there were statistically significant positive correlations among hostile attribution bias, negative urgency, anger rumination, reactive aggression. Another founding was that anger rumination fully mediated the relationship between hostile attribution bias and reactive aggression. Also anger rumination partially mediated the relationship between negative urgency and reactive aggression.
 Conclusions These results suggest that the higher hostile attribution bias and negative urgency, the more angry rumination, and the higher anger rumination, the more reactive aggression may increase. However, since both hostile attribution bias and negative urgency are regarded as characteristic variables formed over a long period of time, it can take a long time to directly intervene and change. Therefore, in order to reduce reactive aggression, it may be helpful to intervene in anger rumination, which is regarded as a relatively state variable.

The Role of Coping Styles in Mediating the Dark Triad and Bullying: An Analysis of Gender Difference.

Recently, the phenomenon of school bullying has gradually become a primary focus of social attention. To reduce the occurrence of bullying, it is important that we explore the psychological mechanisms of students with bullying tendencies. We conducted mediation models through a multi-group analysis to verify the mediating effect of coping styles on the relationship between dark personality traits and bullying, and further explored the differences in this mechanism between male and female groups. The participants were 772 high school students recruited from a middle school in Tianjin, China. They completed a set of self-reported measurements including the Dirty Dozen (DD), Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire (SCSQ), Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ), and Reactive-Proactive Aggression Questionnaire (RPQ). All the measurement instruments have acceptable reliability and validity. The results of the multi-group multiple models indicated that (1) there are significant gender differences in bullying behavior, with males scoring significantly higher than females. Moreover, the gender difference was only reflected in proactive aggression, in which males had higher scores than females; there was no significant gender difference in reactive aggression. (2) In the group of females, both negative and positive coping styles partially moderated the relationship between the Dark Triad and bullying. However, in the group of males, only negative coping styles partially mediated the relationship between the Dark Triad and bullying. (3) The above results also held for proactive aggression. In conclusion, our study highlights the gender differences in the mediating effect of coping styles on the relationship between the Dark Triad and bullying and proactive aggression. These findings contribute to better shared understanding of gender-related aspects in school bullying.

Aggressive behavior, boredom, and protective factors among college students during closed-off management of the COVID-19 pandemic in China.

Chinese colleges have implemented strict closed-off management in response to the outbreak of a new variant of the new coronavirus, Omicron. But such management measures may lead to more aggressive behavior. The study aimed to determine the associations between boredom and aggressive behavior with aggression and to examine the impact of boredom on aggression through the moderating role of cognitive flexibility. The Multidimensional State Boredom Scale, the Reactive-Proactive Aggression Questionnaire, and the Cognitive Flexibility Inventory were applied to a sample of 719 college students who were in a closed-off management environment. For individuals with high cognitive flexibility, the relationship between state boredom and proactive aggression was not significant. The relationship between state boredom and proactive aggression was significantly positively correlated for individuals with low cognitive flexibility, especially low substitutability. Cognitive flexibility has no significant moderating effect on the relationship between state boredom and reactive aggression. The findings highlighted the importance of boredom as a potential risk factor for aggression, while cognitive flexibility appears as a potential protective factor.

A short-term follow-up study on the relationship between early adolescent proactive/reactive aggression and sleep quality

Objective/backgroundSleep quality is closely related to aggressive behavior. Previous studies rarely focused on the relationship between proactive/reactive aggression and sleep quality through a person-centered approach. MethodsThe Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index Scale and the Reactive-Proactive Aggression Questionnaire were used to assess 553 elementary and middle school students twice at 6-month intervals to better understand the relationship between proactive/reactive aggression and sleep quality in early adolescence. ResultsFindings revealed that (1) Sleep quality was positive longitudinally related to both proactive aggression and reactive aggression; Proactive aggression negatively influenced sleep quality, and reactive aggression did not influence sleep quality longitudinally. (2) The sleep quality of persistent non-aggressors and stopped aggressors was significantly better than that of persistent aggressors and new aggressors. ConclusionIn early adolescence, proactive aggression was mutually related to sleep quality. Therefore, future research should focus on the bidirectional association between aggression and sleep quality. In addition, we should improve the sleep quality for different types of aggressors and transformers, especially for new aggressors.

Are all types of empathy associated with lower aggression in athletes? A cross-sectional study on Iranian athletes

BackgroundThis study aimed to evaluate the association between cognitive and affective empathy and aggression in a sample of Iranian athletes.MethodsWe designed a cross-sectional study. The participants were selected by multistage random sampling among six colleges in Tehran, Iran’s capital. We used the interpersonal reactivity index (IRI) to evaluate empathy, and Reactive Proactive Aggression Questionnaire, and the Buss–Perry aggression questionnaire to evaluate aggression.ResultsIn total, 492 athletes with a mean age of 27.42 years (SD = 7.72) participated in the study, of which 298 (60.6%) were male, and 194 (39.4%) were female. IRI’s fantasy and personal distress subscales scores were positively associated with proactive and reactive aggression scores (p < 0.05). The score of the perspective-taking subscale of IRI was negatively associated with proactive and reactive aggression scores (p < 0.05). The score of the empathic concern subscale of IRI had a negative association with the proactive aggression score (p < 0.001). The score of the perspective-taking subscale of IRI had negative associations with all Buss–Perry aggression questionnaire subscales’ scores (p < 0.05). The score of the personal distress subscale of IRI had positive associations with all Buss–Perry aggression questionnaire subscales’ scores (p < 0.05), except with the verbal aggression subscale score. The score of the fantasy subscale of IRI was positively associated with the score of the hostility subscale of the Buss–Perry questionnaire (p = 0.001).ConclusionPerspective-taking is negatively associated with all kinds of aggression in athletes. Future studies can be conducted to determine the possible role of perspective-taking in preventive aggression, which can be a target for interventions. On the other hand, the score of the personal distress subscale of IRI is positively associated with all types of aggression scores, indicating that not all types of empathy inhibit aggression in athletes.

Measurement Invariance and Psychometric Properties of the Reactive and Proactive Aggression Questionnaire (RPQ) Across Genders

Abstract. Aggression is an important risk factor predisposing adolescents to disruptive and criminal behaviors. The present study aimed to assess the psychometric properties and measurement invariance of the Persian version of the Reactive–Proactive Aggression Questionnaire (RPQ) across genders. A sample of 450 students ( Mage = 14 years, SD = 0.81) were recruited randomly and completed the Persian version of the RPQ, Child Behavior Checklist, and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. The 2-factor model demonstrated an acceptable fit to the data, supporting the distinction between reactive and proactive aggression among Iranian adolescents. Although the result indicated the equivalence of factor structure of the RPQ across genders, the invariance of the metric model was not confirmed in this study. Suggestions for future research and a more accurate assessment of these two kinds of aggression are further discussed.

Reliability and validity of the reactive-proactive aggression questionnaire in Chinese boxers

ABSTRACTAggressive behavior is an important indicator that affect athletes’ mental health. Currently, there are few instruments to measure aggressive behavior in Chinese boxers. We evaluate the Chinese reactive proactive aggression questionnaire's (RPQ) construct validity, reliability, and application in a sample of boxers. 414 Chinese boxers were investigated by using cluster sampling method. We performed network analysis, criterion-related validity analysis, internal consistency reliability analysis, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and item analysis. A two-factor model of reactive and proactive aggression suited the data from Chinese boxers well in a confirmatory factor analysis. The Chinese translation was able to accurately reproduce the factor structure of the original RPQ, and both subscales had good Cronbach's alpha values. Significant correlations between the RPQ and agreeableness scores served as proof of the RPQ concurrent validity. The Chinese version of the Reactive Proactive Aggression Questionnaire has good reliability and validity in Chinese boxers for measuring reactive and proactive aggression. Future research can evaluate Chinese boxers’ reactive and proactive aggression using the Chinese RPQ.

Association between lower-level of environmental lead exposure and reactive and proactive aggression in youth: Sex differences

Lead exposure during childhood has been associated with a variety of negative outcomes, including antisocial/aggressive behavior. However, different subtypes of antisocial behavior have been found to have different neurobiological correlates, and it is unclear whether lead exposure is related to specific subtypes of aggressive behavior. The objective of the study was to examine relationships between childhood blood lead levels (BLL) and proactive and reactive aggression. Further, given prior findings of sex differences in the effects of lead exposure, we examine whether there are sex differences in these relationships. In a sample of 818 youth (47.2% girls) ages 10–13 in China, we assessed BLL and administered the Reactive Proactive Aggression Questionnaire. Results show that BLLs were associated with reactive, but not proactive aggression. There was a significant interaction between BLL and sex in predicting aggression; boys with higher BLL scored higher in both proactive and reactive aggression than boys with lower BLL, but these differences were not present for girls. These findings suggest that lead exposure may have broad effects on antisocial behavior, but that boys may be more susceptible than girls. These findings may provide insights to identifying protective factors that could be potential targets for intervention.

Structural analysis of the Reactive-Proactive Aggression Questionnaire in population exposed to armed conflicts.

Structural analysis of the Reactive-Proactive Aggression Questionnaire in population exposed to armed conflicts.

AGGRESSION, EMPATHY, AND LIFE SATISFACTION DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AMONG STUDENTS IN PRIVATE HIGHER EDUCATION

&lt;p&gt;The primary purpose of this study was to investigate relationships between aggression, empathy, and life satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic. The main aim was to analyse the contribution of empathy components (empathic concern, personal distress, perspective-taking, and fantasy) above reactive and proactive aggression in predicting life satisfaction.. The Reactive-Proactive Aggression Questionnaire (RPQ), Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), Single Item on Overall Life Satisfaction (OLS), and Single Item on Overall Happiness (OH) measures were applied to 418 students in private higher education (232 male, 186 female). The participants’ age ranged from 18 to 34, with a mean age of 21 years (SD = 3.18). Results showed that reactive aggression negatively predicted satisfaction with life and overall happiness, while proactive aggression did not significantly predict indicators of life satisfaction. Empathic concern showed a significant positive effect on satisfaction with life, while personal distress showed a significant adverse effect on all indicators of life satisfaction. Aggression and empathy together accounted for 14% of the variance in the satisfaction with life and 5% of the variance in overall life satisfaction and overall happiness. Empathy added incremental variance in explaining life satisfaction after controlling for aggression. The results highlight the importance of reactive aggression and emotional empathy in the explanation of life satisfaction.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Article visualizations:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0983/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Increased amygdala and decreased frontolimbic r esting- s tate functional connectivity in children with aggressive behavior.

Childhood maladaptive aggression is associated with disrupted functional connectivity within amygdala-prefrontal circuitry. In this study, neural correlates of childhood aggression were probed using the intrinsic connectivity distribution, a voxel-wise metric of global resting-state brain connectivity. This sample included 38 children with aggressive behavior (26 boys, 12 girls) ages 8–16 years and 21 healthy controls (14 boys, 6 girls) matched for age and IQ. Functional MRI data were acquired during resting state, and differential patterns of intrinsic functional connectivity were tested in a priori regions of interest implicated in the pathophysiology of aggressive behavior. Next, correlational analyses tested for associations between functional connectivity and severity of aggression measured by the Reactive-Proactive Aggression Questionnaire in children with aggression. Children with aggressive behavior showed increased global connectivity in the bilateral amygdala relative to controls. Greater severity of aggressive behavior was associated with decreasing global connectivity in the dorsal anterior cingulate and ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Follow-up seed analysis revealed that aggression was also positively correlated with left amygdala connectivity with the dorsal anterior cingulate, ventromedial and dorsolateral prefrontal cortical regions. These results highlight the potential role of connectivity of the amygdala and medial prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortices in modulating the severity of aggressive behavior in treatment-seeking children.

Large-scale functional brain networks of maladaptive childhood aggression identified by connectome-based predictive modeling.

Disruptions in frontoparietal networks supporting emotion regulation have been long implicated in maladaptive childhood aggression. However, the association of connectivity between large-scale functional networks with aggressive behavior has not been tested. The present study examined whether the functional organization of the connectome predicts severity of aggression in children. This cross-sectional study included a transdiagnostic sample of 100 children with aggressive behavior (27 females) and 29 healthy controls without aggression or psychiatric disorders (13 females). Severity of aggression was indexed by the total score on the parent-rated Reactive-Proactive Aggression Questionnaire. During fMRI, participants completed a face emotion perception task of fearful and calm faces. Connectome-based predictive modeling with internal cross-validation was conducted to identify brain networks that predicted aggression severity. The replication and generalizability of the aggression predictive model was then tested in an independent sample of children from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. Connectivity predictive of aggression was identified within and between networks implicated in cognitive control (medial frontal, frontoparietal), social functioning (default mode, salience), and emotion processing (subcortical, sensorimotor) (r=0.31, RMSE = 9.05, p=0.005). Out-of-sample replication (p<0.002) and generalization (p=0.007) of findings predicting aggression from the functional connectome was demonstrated in an independent sample of children from the ABCD study (n=1,791; n=1,701). Individual differences in large-scale functional networks contribute to variability in maladaptive aggression in children with psychiatric disorders. Linking these individual differences in the connectome to variation in behavioral phenotypes will advance identification of neural biomarkers of maladaptive childhood aggression to inform targeted treatments.

Measuring Aggression in German Youth Prison-A Validation of the German Reactive-Proactive Aggression Questionnaire (RPQ) in a Sample of Incarcerated Juvenile Offenders.

The aim of the present study was to examine construct validity and reliability of the German reactive proactive aggression questionnaire (RPQ) in a sample of delinquent boys (N = 156). A confirmatory factor analysis with a two-factor model of reactive and proactive aggression showed a good fit to the data. The factor structure of the original RPQ could be fully replicated in the German translation, and Cronbach’s alphas were good for both subscales. Concurrent validity of the RPQ was demonstrated by significant correlations with the subscales of the inventory of callous unemotional traits. In future studies, the German RPQ can be used to assess reactive and proactive aggression in judicial and forensic psychiatric care in Germany. The present findings also provide support for the use of the RPQ in cross-cultural comparisons.

Supplemental Material for Structural Analysis of the Reactive-Proactive Aggression Questionnaire in Population Exposed to Armed Conflicts

Supplemental Material for Structural Analysis of the Reactive-Proactive Aggression Questionnaire in Population Exposed to Armed Conflicts

Sensory Processing and Aggressive Behavior in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may be accompanied by aggressive behavior and is associated with sensory processing difficulties. The present study aims to investigate the direct association between sensory processing and aggressive behavior in adults with ASD. A total of 101 Dutch adult participants with ASD, treated in outpatient or inpatient facilities, completed the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile (AASP), the Reactive-Proactive Aggression Questionnaire (RPQ), and the Aggression Questionnaire—Short Form (AQ-SF). Results revealed that sensory processing difficulties are associated with more aggressive behavior (), more proactive () and reactive aggression (), more physical () and verbal aggression (), and more anger () and hostility (). Evidence was found for an interaction of the neurological threshold and behavioral response on total aggression and hostility. Participants with higher scores in comparison to the norm group in sensory sensitivity had the highest risk of aggressive behavior. In conclusion, clinical practice may benefit from applying detailed diagnostics on sensory processing difficulties when treating aggressive behavior in adults with ASD.

Self-Esteem and Reactive Aggression: An EMG Biofeedback Training Approach

Human aggression and violence is a worldwide public health concern that has greater influence on both the offenders and victims. Although many theorists have recognized multiple and complex causes of such behaviors, a number of researchers have pointed out self-esteem as an important component in behavioral change and prevention of crime. The association of self-esteem and aggression is most frequently studied and traditional viewpoint assumes that low self-esteem is a significant predictor of aggression. Researchers suggest that individuals with low self-esteem may benefit from therapeutic techniques. Following indications from the previous researches, the objective of the present study was to examine the role of EMG biofeedback in enhancing self-esteem of aggressive adolescents. It was hypothesized that EMG biofeedback would improve self-esteem and reduce reactive aggression of participants in experimental group. A pre-post experimental-control group design was used. Self-Esteem Inventory and Reactive-Proactive Aggression Questionnaire were used to identify male adolescents with low self-esteem and high reactive aggression respectively. Further identified subjects were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. EMG biofeedback training was given to participants of experimental group (n=90) for ten sessions. Control group (n=90) participants did not receive any training. At the completion of intervention program, participants of both groups were again assessed on Reactive-Proactive Aggression Questionnaire and Self-Esteem Inventory. Obtained scores were subjected to one way Analysis of Variance. It was revealed that EMG biofeedback training made a significant improvement in students' level of self-esteem (F=57.88, p< 0.01) and a significant reduction in reactive aggression (F=121.31, p < 0.01) among participants of experimental group. The significant implications of the findings have been discussed.