Dual Trajectories of Reactive and Proactive Aggression from Mid-childhood to Early Adolescence: Relations to Sensation Seeking, Risk Taking, and Moral Reasoning

Since the conceptual distinction of reactive and proactive aggression has been proposed, numerous studies have tried to disentangle the correlates of each function of aggression. While reactive aggression tends to be more strongly related to impulsivity, angry reactivity, or hostility, proactive aggression has proved to be more associated with psychopathic traits and goal-directed behaviors. However, in addition to the current debate about the actual distinction of reactive and proactive aggression, the study of gender differences is still scarce. Thus, the aim of the current study is to evaluate the distinctiveness of reactive and proactive aggression by means of the examination of their differential personality correlates (i.e., HEXACO, psychopathic traits, and impulsivity facets), as well as the assessment of gender differences in those relationships. To that end, a sample composed of 326 young adults aged 18–34 was recruited in Spain. The results evidenced unique associations of reactive and proactive aggression with a set of personality traits, including the HEXACO factors, psychopathic traits, and impulsivity facets, both at raw and residual level. Furthermore, when all the variables were entered in the model, proactive aggression remained strongly related to the factor of Honesty/humility and Emotionality, whereas reactive aggression remained associated with the impulsive/irresponsive factor of psychopathy and, specifically, with the facet of negative urgency, as well as with lack of Agreeableness. Likewise, some gender differences emerged as regards certain correlates. Specifically, proactive aggression was related with lack of Agreeableness and sensation seeking only in males and with the impulsive/irresponsive factor of psychopathy only in females, although these differences were not statistically significant. The conceptual and practical implications of these finding are discussed in terms of prevention.

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Hostility and normative beliefs in reactive and proactive aggression: A structural model

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e552512012-008 ◽

2006 ◽

Author(s):

J. M. Andreu ◽

J. M. Ramirez

Keyword(s):

Structural Model ◽

Proactive Aggression ◽

Normative Beliefs ◽

Reactive And Proactive Aggression

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Sensation Seeking and Impulsivity As Predictors of Adolescents' Risk Taking

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e705352011-001 ◽

2011 ◽

Author(s):

Meagen A. Higgins ◽

David V. Chavez

Keyword(s):

Risk Taking ◽

Sensation Seeking

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Positive risk-taking: Mixed-methods validation of a self-report scale and evidence for genetic links to personality and negative risk-taking

10.31234/osf.io/bq63f ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Megan Wales Patterson ◽

Lilla Pivnick ◽

Frank D Mann ◽

Andrew D Grotzinger ◽

Kathryn C Monahan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Youth Development ◽

Risk Taking ◽

Sensation Seeking ◽

Empirical Work ◽

Well Being ◽

Population Based ◽

Self Report ◽

Personality Factors ◽

Positive Behaviors ◽

Adolescent Risk

Adolescents are more likely to take risks. Typically, research on adolescent risk-taking has focused on its negative health and societal consequences. However, some risk-taking behaviors might be positive, defined here as behavior that does not violate the rights of others and that might advance socially-valuable goals. Empirical work on positive risk-taking has been limited by measurement challenges. In this study, we elicited adolescents’ free responses (n = 75) about a time they took a risk. Based on thematic coding, we identified positive behaviors described as risks and selected items to form a self-report scale. The resulting positive risk-taking scale was quantitatively validated in a population-based sample of adolescent twins (n = 1249). Second, we evaluated associations between positive risk-taking, negative risk-taking, and potential personality and peer correlates using a genetically informed design. Sensation seeking predicted negative and positive risk-taking equally strongly, whereas extraversion differentiated forms of risk-taking. Additive genetic influences on personality accounted for the total heritability in positive risk-taking. Indirect pathways from personality through positive and negative peer environments were identified. These results provide promising evidence that personality factors of sensation seeking and extraversion can manifest as engagement in positive risks. Increased understanding of positive manifestations of adolescent risk-taking may yield targets for positive youth development strategies to bolster youth well-being.

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Relating Reactive and Proactive Aggression to Trait Driving Anger in Young and Adult Males: A Pilot Study Using Explicit and Implicit Measures

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13041850 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (4) ◽

pp. 1850

Author(s):

Veerle Ross ◽

Nora Reinolsmann ◽

Jill Lobbestael ◽

Chantal Timmermans ◽

Tom Brijs ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pilot Study ◽

Cognitive Biases ◽

Young Male ◽

Proactive Aggression ◽

Implicit Measures ◽

Adult Males ◽

Young Males ◽

Targeted Interventions ◽

Driving Anger ◽

Reactive And Proactive Aggression

Driving anger and aggressive driving are main contributors to crashes, especially among young males. Trait driving anger is context-specific and unique from other forms of anger. It is necessary to understand the mechanisms of trait driving anger to develop targeted interventions. Although literature conceptually distinguished reactive and proactive aggression, this distinction is uncommon in driving research. Similar, cognitive biases related to driving anger, measured by a combination of explicit and implicit measures, received little attention. This pilot study related explicit and implicit measures associated with reactive and proactive aggression to trait driving anger, while considering age. The sample consisted of 42 male drivers. The implicit measures included a self-aggression association (i.e., Single-Target Implicit Association Test) and an attentional aggression bias (i.e., Emotional Stroop Task). Reactive aggression related positively with trait driving anger. Moreover, a self-aggression association negatively related to trait driving anger. Finally, an interaction effect for age suggested that only in young male drivers, higher proactive aggression related to lower trait driving anger. These preliminary results motivate further attention to the combination of explicit and implicit measures related to reactive and proactive aggression in trait driving anger research.

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Reactive and proactive aggression in sexual homicide offenders

Journal of Criminal Justice ◽

10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2020.101728 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 71 ◽

pp. 101728

Author(s):

Jonathan James ◽

Tamsin Higgs ◽

Stephanie Langevin

Keyword(s):

Proactive Aggression ◽

Sexual Homicide ◽

Reactive And Proactive Aggression

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Longitudinal Increases in Parent–Child Relationship Quality and Sensation Seeking Interact to Increase Risk-Taking During the College Transition

Emerging Adulthood ◽

10.1177/2167696817705954 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 66-71 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

João F. Guassi Moreira ◽

Eva H. Telzer

Keyword(s):

Relationship Quality ◽

College Transition ◽

Risk Taking ◽

Sensation Seeking ◽

Risky Behaviors ◽

Parent Child Relationship ◽

First Semester ◽

Child Relationship ◽

Risk Taking Behaviors ◽

Parent Child

We tested two competing predictions of whether changes in parent–child relationship quality buffer or exacerbate the association between sensation-seeking and risk-taking behaviors as individuals gain more independence during the high school–college transition. In the current longitudinal study, 287 participants completed self-report measures of sensation seeking, risk-taking, and parent–child relationship quality with their parents prior to starting college and again during their first semester. Overall, students displayed increases in risky behaviors, which were predicted by sensation seeking. Changes in relationship quality moderated the association between sensation seeking and risk-taking, such that sensation seeking predicted higher risk-taking behaviors during the first semester of college, but only for those who reported increases in relationship quality across the college transition. These results suggest that increased relationship quality may have an inadvertent spillover effect by interacting with sensation seeking to increase risky behaviors.

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