Reactive Relational Aggression Research Articles

Facet-level impulsivity and proactive and reactive relational aggression

Background & objectivesRelational aggression and its functional subtypes (proactive and reactive) are associated with various adverse outcomes. Impulsivity has known associations with aggression, but less is known about its role in relational aggression, particularly at the facet level, and the implications such a relationship might have for prevention and intervention efforts. MethodAn Australian community sample was recruited from social media platforms (N = 637), consisting of 352 (55.3 %) females, 281 (44.1 %) males, and 4 (0.6 %) who self-described. Participant ages ranged from 18 to 82 years (M = 53.24, SD = 13.25). Participants completed a brief online self-report survey. ResultsWe fit four path models to explore the relationship between facet-level impulsivity and reactive and proactive relational aggression. For females, positive associations between positive urgency and proactive relational aggression (β = 0.20, p = .007), negative urgency and reactive relational aggression (β = 0.26, p < .001), and sensation seeking and reactive relational aggression were evident (β = 0.11, p = 0.041), as was a negative relationship between sensation seeking and proactive relational aggression (β = -0.12, p = .043). For males, a positive association between negative urgency and reactive relational aggression was identified (β = 0.24, p < .001). ConclusionProactive and reactive relational aggression may be more likely to occur during the experience of intense emotions (i.e., positive and negative urgency). Both subtypes appear to require forethought and planning, indicating there may be substantial conceptual and cognitive overlap between the two relational aggression functions.

Differential Associations Between Perceived Containment and the Forms of Proactive and Reactive Functions of Aggression Among Elementary School-Age Youth

ABSTRACT Further research is needed to evaluate associations between perceived containment and proactive and reactive aggression to further inform prevention and intervention approaches. The current study advanced extant research by examining associations between perceived containment and overt and relational subtypes of proactive and reactive functions of aggression and by examining anger dysregulation as a moderator of these associations among elementary school-age youth (51.4% female; M age = 9.3 years). Youth self-reports of measures were obtained and used for analyses. Findings indicated that perceived containment and anger dysregulation are both more strongly linked to reactive aggression than proactive aggression, and the association between perceived containment and reactive relational aggression was only evident at high levels of anger dysregulation. These results suggest that both perceived containment and anger dysregulation need to be targeted for the prevention of both overt and relational reactive aggression, but not necessarily proactive aggression.

Narrative processing and the forms and functions of aggressive behavior

Abstract This study investigated the associations of narrative processing while recounting a past victimization experience with different forms (i.e., physical and relational) and functions (i.e., reactive vs proactive) of aggressive behavior. Moderating effects of respiratory sinus arrhythmia reactivity and gender were explored. Two hundred college students participated in a semi-structured laboratory interview about a past victimization event, during which their respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and narrative processing (i.e., perpetrator hostility evaluation, narrative coherence, and positive resolution) were assessed. Participants reported their tendency to engage in aggressive behaviors. Findings indicated that low narrative coherence and high perpetrator hostility evaluation, respectively, in combination with RSA activation, were associated with reactive physical aggression in men but not in women. Perpetrator hostility evaluation was also associated with reactive relational aggression for both men and women. Findings shed critical light on the joint influences of narrative processing, physiological reactivity, and gender in subtypes of aggressive behavior.

Understanding Schadenfreude through Personality Factors and Relational Aggression

The purpose of this study was to explain the mediator role of relational aggression between schadenfreude and personality traits through the path model. Dark traits, agreeableness and hostility as personality factors are thought to be related to relational aggression according to General Aggression Model. Thus, the model was proposed by the author which included direct and indirect effects of personality factors on relational aggression and schadenfreude. 306 adults completed an online survey comprising dark triad, Proactive/Reactive Relational Aggression, agreeableness, and hostility scales and author-generated measure of expressed schadenfreude. Path analysis revealed that schadenfreude was predicted by only reactive but not with proactive relational aggression. Moreover, schadenfreude was predicted by the dark triad indirectly through reactive relational aggression. The dark triad was also predicted by agreeableness and hostility. Although reactive and proactive relational aggression were predicted by agreeableness and hostility, only reactive agression had a mediator role between personality traits (agreeableness, dark triad, hostility) and schadenfreude. Findings and implications for the future research were discussed. Limitations of the current study were also mentioned.

Developmental pathways from prenatal substance exposure to reactive aggression

Few studies have examined etiological pathways from prenatal substance exposure to adolescent reactive aggression. We tested a conceptual model that included hypothesized pathways from prenatal substance exposure to adolescent aggression via autonomic reactivity and violence exposure from infancy to early school age and maternal harshness across early childhood. The sample included 216 families (106 boys) who primarily self-identified as Black or Mixed Race. Results supported the hypothesized path from violence exposure across early childhood and early school age to school age autonomic reactivity and early adolescent reactive aggression. There was also a significant interaction effect of sympathetic and parasympathetic reactivity on adolescent reactive aggression, with sympathetic arousal and parasympathetic suppression at early school age associated with higher reactive relational and physical aggression in adolescence. Results emphasize the importance of early experiences and autonomic nervous system changes in contributing to the cascade of risk for reactive aggression in early adolescence.

Applying a bifactor model to the functions of relational aggression: Associations with hostile attribution biases and difficulties with emotion regulation.

Previous research suggests that reactive and proactive aggression likely have distinct underlying mechanisms that uniquely contribute to the perpetration of each as a result of faulty cognitive and emotional processes. Still, very little work has examined the association of the functions of relational aggression with emotion dysregulation and hostile attribution biases. In addition, it is important to examine relational aggression in its pure and co-occurring functions given that past work finds reactive and proactive aggression to occur both jointly and distinctly. Thus, the current study employed a bifactor model to distinguish between pure reactive, pure proactive, and co-occurring relational aggression in emerging adulthood (N = 647, Mage = 19.92, SD = 2.83), a developmental time period for which relational aggression is particularly prominent. To further address gaps in the relational aggression literature, indirect pathway models revealed that relational hostile attribution biases emerged as a concurrent indirect path in the relationship between emotion dysregulation and pure reactive relational aggression. Furthermore, emotion dysregulation was directly positively associated with both pure functions as well as co-occurring relational aggression, and hostile attribution biases for relational provocations were directly associated with both pure functions of relational aggression, though the association was negative for pure proactive and positive for pure reactive relational aggression. Findings highlight the potential influence of emotion dysregulation and attributing hostile intent to social situations on engaging in the different functions of relational aggression.

Honor-endorsing women and relational aggression: Evidence for the presence of feminine aggression norms in southern U.S. women

Research on honor cultures has centered almost exclusively on men and men's use of physical aggression as a means of reputation defense, while tacitly overlooking women's role(s). Across three studies (N = 813), we examined whether honor endorsing women, like men, exhibit aggressive tendencies, albeit in the form of relational aggression. We found that women's honor endorsement predicted greater use of reactive relational aggression (e.g., ignoring and excluding others; Studies 1 and 2), but only among women who felt they were not achieving what it means to be an honorable woman (Study 2). Lastly, we found that women higher in feminine honor endorsement were more supportive of women who relationally aggressed (i.e. spreading rumors, social exclusion) in response to reputation threats (Study 3). Taken together, the present research indicates that honor endorsing women are more active in reputation maintenance and defense than prior work has acknowledged.

Temporal stability of relational aggression profiles in adolescents

The current study explored the temporal stability in relational aggressor's profiles over a 6-month period. Data were gathered at two time points from a sample of 2207 Greek junior high school students (52.8% females) aged between 13 and 16 (M = 14.04, SD = 0.81) years. This study also considered the role of callous-unemotional traits and hostile attribution bias in predicting profile membership. Results of latent profile and latent transition analyses revealed three distinct relational aggression profiles (i.e., low relational aggression, moderate relational aggression/high reactive indirect relational aggression, and high relational aggression). The examination of the short-term longitudinal stability of these profiles over a period of 6 months showed that their basic structure remained stable at both the within-sample and within-person level across measurement points. In addition, this study showed that callous-unemotional traits and hostile attribution bias affect adolescents' possibility of membership in all three profiles. Adolescents scoring high on callous-unemotional traits and hostile attribution bias were more likely to be associated with the more aggressive profiles, namely with the high relational aggression, and to a lesser extent, with the moderate relational aggression profile. Overall, this study demonstrated that the basic structure of relational aggression profiles remained stable across a short-term time period and provides numerous crucial practical implications including social-cognitive reframing interventions, as well as enhancement of social skills and empathic reactions.

Negative parenting and functions of relational aggression: The moderating roles of gender and physiological reactivity.

Dimensions of negative parenting, including permissive, authoritarian, and psychologically controlling parenting behaviors, are associated with children's engagement in relational aggression. However, some youth may be more strongly influenced by negative parenting than others, and effects may depend on whether aggression is proactive or reactive in function. In a community sample of 236 preadolescent children followed over 1 year, we examined whether children's skin conductance level reactivity (an index of "fight or flight" response) and gender moderated links between parents' self-reported negative parenting behaviors and increases in children's teacher-reported proactive and reactive relational aggression. Findings indicated that negative parenting predicted increases in proactive and reactive relational aggression, and, consistent with differential susceptibility theory, effects often emerged among highly reactive youth. Associations between negative parenting and proactive relational aggression emerged for boys but not girls. Results tentatively suggest that associations between parenting and aggression vary by the function of aggression, children's physiological reactivity to stress, and gender, although results should be interpreted with caution due to high levels of missing data. Implications for theory and intervention are discussed.

Emotional awareness and relational aggression: The roles of anger and maladaptive anger regulation

Based on the I3 theory of aggression (Finkel & Hall, 2018), in two studies, we examined the emotional awareness as an inhibitory control factor in predicting reactive relational aggression, aggression-impelling traits (dispositional anger) and diminished inhibitory control (maladaptive anger regulation), in a non-clinical samples of 218 and 103 Polish adults. In study 1, using cross-sectional design, we showed that dispositional attention to emotions correlated negatively with anger suppression, while emotional clarity correlated negatively with both trait anger and anger suppression. Reactive relational aggression was positively linked to anger, whereas it was negatively associated with attention to emotions, emotional clarity and anger suppression. Anger suppression mediated the effects of attention to emotions on relational aggression. In study 2, we used an imagined provoking scenario. Dispositional emotional awareness was related to anger intensity experienced after provocation and anger regulation (suppression, rumination and experimental avoidance). Anger intensity and anger regulation affected situational involuntary attention to emotions after provocation which was alone a significant predictor of relational aggression. Facets of emotional awareness (both dispositional and situational) had differential effects on relationally aggressive behavior and anger regulation.

Emotions and Cognitions in Early Childhood Aggression: the Role of Irritability and Hostile Attribution Biases.

The present study examines the role of irritability in form and function subtypes of aggression over 1year in early childhood (N= 300, Mage= 44.70months, SD= 4.38months). This study prospectively tests hostile attribution biases (HAB) as a mediator in irritability's relations with aggression, with hypothesized form-specific relations between HAB and aggression. Moderation by gender and a reversed alternative model (aggression to irritability, mediated by HAB), were also tested. Path analyses showed irritability predicted increases in all subtypes of aggression (βs =0.24-0.34), but with moderation by gender, such that irritability significantly predicted increases in reactive relational aggression for girls only (β=0.43). Reactive physical aggression also significantly predicted increases in irritability (β=0.15). HAB was not associated significantly with any forms or functions of aggression, although gender differences emerged between HAB for instrumental provocations and reactive physical aggression. No significant indirect effects were found. Results highlight the importance of considering both forms and functions of aggression when investigating irritability, and point to potential gender differences in the role of irritability in relational aggression in early childhood.

Comportamiento Agressivo en Estudiantes de Educación secundaria con aptitudes sobresalientes

El objetivo de la presenta investigación fue identificar el nivel de agresividad en Estudiantes de educación secundaria, con aptitudes sobresalientes. La población se constituyó de 30 estudiantes que estudiaban el Primer, Segundo y Tercer grado, de estos 15 hombres y 17 mujeres; las edades oscilan entre los 12 y 15 años, con un nivel socioeconómico bajo y medio, hijos agricultores, campesinos y profesionistas. El tipo de estudio fue descriptivo, las variables fueron la agresión manifiesta y la agresión relacional. Se utilizó la Escala de conductas violentas en la escuela de Little et al., (2003). EL diseño fue no experimental; se utilizó la estadística descriptiva y los datos se procesaron en el paquete estadístico SPSS Versión 20, se calculó la media aritmética, las frecuencias y los porcentajes para con ello realizar la representación gráfica de los resultados. De acuerdo con el análisis de los datos de forma general el 48.7% se ubicó en un nivel de agresión medio. Para la Agresión Manifiesta Pura (46.1%) y la Agresión Manifiesta Reactiva (59.2%) se ubicaron en un nivel de agresión medio; la Agresión Manifiesta Instrumental el 44.7% presento un nivel alto de agresión. En tanto que la Agresión Relacional Pura (51.3%), la Agresión Relacional Reactiva (56.6%) y la Agresión Relacional Instrumental (55.3%) todas mostraron un nivel de agresividad medio. Derivado de estos resultados se recomienda implementar talleres de prevención de conductas agresivas. Recebido em: 11 de outubro de 2019Modificado em: 29 de março de 2020Aceito em: 04 de abril de 2020

Multidimensional measure of aggression in adolescents: Croatian validation of the Peer Conflict Scale

BackgroundIn order to adequately assess aggression in adolescence, the Peer Conflict Scale (PCS) was developed. It evaluates both forms and functions of aggression (i.e. proactive overt, proactive relational, reactive overt and reactive relational aggression). The goal of this study was to examine the validity and reliability of the Croatian version of the Peer Conflict Scale.Participants and procedureThe total sample consisted of 656 high school students from the City of Zagreb (age range 16-17, 55.33% boys). Independent exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted to determine the factor structure, and the best fitting model of the PCS on a Croatian sample.ResultsBoth results of EFA and CFA support a proposed four-factor model of the instrument. Reliabilities of the instrument’s scales were acceptable. The measurement invariance across gender was established. In order to analyse the construct validity of the PCS, relations between aggression subtypes and the theoretically meaningful variable, i.e. anxiety, were assessed. Reactive rela-tional aggression had the highest correlation with anxiety, while proactive overt aggression did not correlate significantly with anxiety. Furthermore, gender differences in aggression subtypes were assessed, and were in accordance with past research.ConclusionsOur study verifies the reliability, factor structure and construct validity of PCS in a sample of Croatian adolescents. However, the results of this study suggest that the response format should be changed. Furthermore, some items did not match well with corresponding factors and the best fitting model was the one in which those items were excluded. Therefore, we suggest that two items should be replaced with new ones.

Relations between forms and functions of aggression and moral judgments of aggressive transgressions.

The present study sought to examine the influence of aggressive behavior, psychopathy, and gender on moral judgments of aggressive transgressions. A two-dimensional conceptualization of aggression was used, such that proactive relational aggression, reactive relational aggression, proactive physical aggression, and reactive physical aggression were treated as distinct subtypes of aggression and also as distinct subtypes of moral judgments of aggression. Participants were 421 emerging adults (215 women). Self-report measures of aggression, psychopathy, and moral judgments were collected. Peer-reports of aggression and psychopathy were obtained from a randomly assigned subsample of 73 participants (46 women) for validity purposes. Unique associations were found between subtypes of aggression and corresponding moral judgments of the same subtypes.

Pathways From Early Family Violence to Adolescent Reactive Aggression and Violence Victimization.

The current study examined how early childhood (EC) family violence and risk (i.e., maternal aggression, sibling aggression, environmental risk) predicted early adolescent (EA) reactive physical and relational aggression and violence victimization through middle childhood (MC) parenting (i.e., guilt induction, power assertive discipline). Mother-infant dyads (N = 216; 72% African American) were recruited as part of a larger longitudinal study on prenatal cocaine and other substance exposure. Observations, interviews, and maternal and child self-report measures were collected from dyads in early childhood (1 to 36 months), middle childhood (84 months), and early adolescence (12 to 15 years). A cascading path model was specified where current variables were regressed on variables from the preceding time point. Primary results showed that environmental risk and EC child physical aggression predicted higher levels of MC caregiver power assertive discipline, which subsequently predicted lower levels of EA reactive relational aggression. Maternal substance use in pregnancy and the child's continuous placement with biological caregivers predicted higher levels of reactive physical aggression in EA. Finally, MC physical aggression and EA reactive relational aggression predicted higher levels of EA violence victimization. There were a series of direct paths from early childhood family violence and demographic factors to reactive aggression and violence victimization. The current study underscores the importance of evaluating multiple facets of family violence and risk when evaluating aggressive behavior and victimization.

Emotion Regulation and Relational Aggression in Adolescents: Parental Attachment as Moderator

This study explores the relations between the functional subtypes of relational aggression (proactive and reactive) and difficulties with emotion regulation (cognitive reappraisal, expressive suppression). Further, it examines the moderating role of parental attachment including parental availability and dependency in these associations. Based on previous research, it was expected that difficulties in emotion regulation strategies would be associated with reactive but not with proactive relational aggression, and these links would be moderated by self-reported attachment quality to both parents. Participants of the study were 518 Greek junior high school students (50% girls), aged between 12 tο 16 (M = 13.66, SD = 1.13) who completed a self-report questionnaire. The results showed that expressive suppression holds a positive association only with reactive but not with proactive relational aggression, while low maternal attachment security was linked to both proactive and reactive relational aggression. Moderation analyses also revealed that at low levels of perceived dependency on father the expressive suppression was negatively associated with student’s engagement in proactive relational aggression. The findings also evidenced that gender differentiates adolescents’ self-reported engagement in proactive RA and perceived dependency on father for males as well as cognitive reappraisal for females. The importance of exploring interpersonal factors along with individual traits in the interpretation of relational aggression is discussed.

Relational Aggressors’ Coping: The Moderating Role of Empathy

ABSTRACTThis study explored the role of empathy (cognitive, emotional) as a moderator in the link between coping and proactive and reactive relational aggression (RA) among 328 Greek preadolescents. The results indicated positive associations between emotion-focused coping (i.e., minimization), maladaptive coping, including resignation, passive avoidance, rumination, and aggression, and proactive and reactive RA. Negative associations were found between cognitive and emotional empathy and both RA functions. The findings also revealed that both components of empathy moderated the associations between rumination and aggressive coping and reactive RA. With regards to proactive RA, its link with rumination was moderated by low cognitive and emotional empathy. This evidence confirms prior research and sheds more light on the socio-emotive characteristics of relational aggressors.

Juvenile Justice Anger Management (JJAM) Treatment for Girls: Results of a randomized controlled trial.

This study examined the efficacy of the Juvenile Justice Anger Management (JJAM) Treatment for Girls, an anger management and aggression reduction treatment designed to meet the unique needs of adolescent girls in residential juvenile justice facilities. This randomized controlled trial of JJAM compared changes in levels of anger and aggression among girls who participated in the JJAM treatment with those of girls who participated in treatment as usual (TAU) at the facilities. This study also investigated the theoretical model underlying the JJAM treatment, which proposed that reductions in hostile attribution biases, development of emotion regulation skills, and improvement in social problem solving would serve as mechanisms of action in JJAM. Participants were 70 female youth who ranged in age from 14 to 20 years (M = 17.45, SD = 1.24) and were placed at 1 of 3 participating juvenile justice facilities; 57 youth completed the study and were included in analyses. Results revealed greater reductions in anger, reactive physical aggression, and reactive relational aggression among girls in the JJAM treatment condition when compared to girls in the TAU control condition. The proposed theoretical model was partially supported via significant mediation findings; changes in hostile attribution bias were identified as a significant mechanism of action in the JJAM treatment. Results suggest that JJAM is a promising treatment to effectively reduce anger and reactive aggression among adolescent girls in juvenile justice placements. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

내현적 자기애 성향이 반응적 관계 공격성에 미치는 영향 : 타인 행동에 대한 귀인의 매개효과

내현적 자기애 성향이 반응적 관계 공격성에 미치는 영향 : 타인 행동에 대한 귀인의 매개효과

The HEXACO model of personality and Dark Triad in relational aggression

Relational aggression has been linked to many forms of psychological maladjustment. Identifying the personality traits associated with the perpetration of relational aggression offers promise in improving our ability to understand, prevent, and treat relationally aggressive behaviors. Much of the research to date has utilized the Five Factor Model; however, the HEXACO model of personality (Ashton et al., 2004) may offer some advantages in studying aggression. Moreover, the manipulative and often covert nature of relational aggression suggests that the Dark Triad personality traits are likely to be relevant. This study explored the utility of the HEXACO model and Dark Triad in predicting relational aggression in college students' (N=442) peer relationships. Honesty-Humility, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Openness predicted proactive and reactive relational aggression, and Emotionality also predicted reactive relational aggression. Pathological narcissism and psychopathy predicted proactive and reactive relational aggression while taking respondent gender and the full HEXACO model into account, with vulnerable narcissism and psychopathy serving as positive predictors and grandiose narcissism serving as a negative predictor. Findings support the utility of both the HEXACO and Dark Triad models in understanding peer relational aggression among emerging adults.