Distress and Retaliatory Aggression in Response to Witnessing Intergroup Exclusion are Greater on Higher Levels of Collective Narcissism

The negative consequences of personal exclusion have been demonstrated by multiple studies. Less is known about the consequences of witnessing one’s own group being excluded by other groups, although studies suggest exclusion can be experienced vicariously and negatively affects members of the excluded group. Results of the present lab-based experiment (N= 153), indicate, in line with our predictions, that witnessing intergroup exclusion (manipulated by an adapted intergroup Cyberball paradigm) produced a sense of personal exclusion. It also increased self-reported distress and behavioral aggression measured in the Taylor Aggression Paradigm), especially among participants high on collective narcissism: a belief that the exaggerated greatness of the in-group is not sufficiently appreciated by others. Contrary to expectations, a short mindful decentration intervention (instructing participants to observe thoughts and emotions as transient mental products without engaging with them) delivered while participants were witnessing intergroup exclusion (versus inclusion) produced changes in heart rate variability reactivity indicative of emotional arousal especially among collective narcissists. We concluded that collective narcissism is associated with distress in the face of intergroup exclusion, aggressive retaliation, and in consequence it is a risk-factor predisposing group members to stress-related health and psychosocial problems. Furthermore, a mindful decentration, despite being an effective strategy to reduce maladaptive stress in most people, may be counterproductive in addressing high collective narcissists’ responses to threat to the in-group’s image.

Gender Differences in the Relationship between Anger and Aggressive Behavior

Evidence is mixed regarding differences in prevalence of aggressive behavior, with many (though not all) studies suggesting that men are more aggressive than women. Furthermore, while aggression often occurs in response to provocation-induced anger, this relationship may be stronger for men; women may be more likely to engage in non-aggressive (e.g., affiliative) behaviors in response to provocation, particularly at low-level provocation. This study examined gender differences in aggression as well as differences in the relationship between anger and aggression for men and women. Adults ( N = 424) participated in a behavioral aggression task, and a subset of participants ( n = 304) completed a questionnaire assessing trait levels of anger as part of a larger study at a large midwestern university. Results indicated that while men and women aggressed at similar levels, aggression was significantly associated with trait anger for men only, at low levels of provocation, with only a trending relationship for high provocation. This suggests that while men and women may be equally aggressive in certain situations, this behavior may be differentially associated with anger.

Acute Aggression After Progesterone Discontinuation in a Young Female

Background:Although cyclical changes in progesterone activity have been linked with various psychiatric symptoms, such as anxiety, mood, and premenstrual dysphoria, less is known about the effects of contraceptive use of progesterone and behavioral aggression. Case Presentation:We report a case of a 23-year old hospitalized African female diagnosed with complex post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), bipolarity and history of alcohol use disorder, who developed significant behavioral aggression within a short time of removing her progestin (progesterone) implant. The association between abrupt behavioral deterioration and discontinuation of the contraceptive implant was further supported by resolution of patient’s aggression after 3 days of starting a long-acting progesterone contraceptive, medroxyprogesterone acetate, instead of the progestin implant to prevent non-adherence. This, to our knowledge, is the first case to document relationship between discontinuation of a progesterone contraceptive and aggressive behavior in a patient with significant trauma and psychiatric history.Discussion & Conclusion:This may be the first documented case of behavioral aggression in a young African female after removal of a progesterone implant followed by resolution of aggression after initiating a long acting progesterone injection. Although several studies, mostly in animals, have shown a link between progesterone levels and aggression, there are no reports of aggression concerning contraceptive use of progesterone. Such aggression may be rare in healthy subjects but may be more common in a psychiatrically vulnerable patient with significant trauma history.

Untangling the Relation Between Narcissistic Traits and Behavioral Aggression Following Provocation Using an FFM Framework

Work on narcissism has identified two variants: grandiose and vulnerable. The variants share an antagonistic core, but differ in neuroticism and extraversion. The current study explored how the variants relate to behavioral aggression following provocation. Results showed an interaction between grandiose narcissism and condition, such that grandiose narcissism was positively related to aggression only among those who were provoked, though the magnitude of this interaction was dependent on which measure of grandiose narcissism was used. A similar effect for vulnerable narcissism was not found. Moderated mediation analyses showed that antagonism-related traits were responsible for this relation. For vulnerable narcissism, moderated mediation results showed competing relations among vulnerable narcissism components—neuroticism-related traits were negatively related while antagonism-related traits were positively related. Results are discussed in the context of previous work. Antagonism-related traits, as opposed to traits related to extraversion and neuroticism, are most important in explaining narcissistic aggression.

Toward a More Valid Assessment of Behavioral Aggression: An Open Source Platform and an Empirically Derived Scoring Method for Using the Competitive Reaction Time Task (CRTT)

While the Competitive Reaction Time Task (CRTT) is the most used behavioral aggression paradigm, it is characterized by methodological heterogeneity and quantification strategies for its’ outcome are unstandardized. Therefore, the standards of measuring aggression should be improved. This article contributes on such an improvement by providing: (a) a freely available CRTT online administration program, and (b) a factor-analytically derived scoring method. Based on a combined sample ( n = 423), a two-factor model was fit to the 30-trial CRTT version. The first factor included all trial scores subsequent to the first time the participant received aversive feedback (i.e., provoked factor) and the second factor included all trial scores prior to this first aversive feedback (i.e., unprovoked factor). Construct validity was evidenced based on the factors` differential relationship with self-reported aggression and narcissism. Our factor analytic findings empirically support the superiority of one of the existing CRTT scoring methods, that is, separately averaging all preprovocation versus all postprovocation trials. We discuss practical recommendations for CRTT users and outline future empirical avenues. This article aims at stimulating joint efforts to move toward standardization of CRTT implementation and outcome measure analysis.

Longitudinal changes in DLPFC activation during childhood are related to decreased aggression following social rejection

Regulating aggression after social feedback is an important prerequisite for developing and maintaining social relations, especially in the current times with larger emphasis on online social evaluation. Studies in adults highlighted the role of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in regulating aggression. Little is known about the development of aggression regulation following social feedback during childhood, while this is an important period for both brain maturation and social relations. The current study used a longitudinal design, with 456 twins undergoing two functional MRI sessions across the transition from middle (7 to 9 y) to late (9 to 11 y) childhood. Aggression regulation was studied using the Social Network Aggression Task. Behavioral aggression after social evaluation decreased over time, whereas activation in the insula, dorsomedial PFC and DLPFC increased over time. Brain–behavior analyses showed that increased DLPFC activation after negative feedback was associated with decreased aggression. Change analyses further revealed that children with larger increases in DLPFC activity from middle to late childhood showed stronger decreases in aggression over time. These findings provide insights into the development of social evaluation sensitivity and aggression control in childhood.

Behavioral diagnostics of aggressive behavior of National police officers by psychological training measures

The results of the empirical research of aggressive behavior of the officers of the National Police have been presented. The objective of the research was to substantiate the psychological training as a method of psychological diagnosis of behavioral aggressiveness of police officers.In total, empirical studies covered 138 police officers aged 24-35 from different regions of Ukraine, where there were 57 women and 81 men who passed advanced training courses at Kharkiv National University of Internal Affairs.To determine the testometric aggressiveness of the subjects, the authors have used two standardized questionnaires for the diagnosis of aggressiveness (P. Kovalov - Ye. Ilina and L. Pocheubut) and the projective method “Test of a hand” by E. Wagner. The authors have distinguished the indicators of testometric aggression of the officers of the National Police of different gender; have conducted their comparative analysis. It has been found out that police officers in general are characterized by a low level of personal and behavioral aggression. It has been found out that male police officers have a significantly higher level of physical aggression than females. Women, in turn, are more vulnerable to manifestations of verbal aggression than men. Analysis of the projective methodology for the diagnosis of aggression confirms the results of the questionnaires about the general low level of aggressiveness of police officers. It has been determined that police officers, regardless of gender, have intrinsic insensitivity to the influence of society, low sensitivity to the opinion of others, the reluctance to build symmetrical relations, which in the end points to an aggressive orientation within interpersonal interaction.The standardization of psychological training exercise “Chair” has been carried out in accordance with the scales reflecting strategies of denial, replacement, assistance seeking, aggression, regression and cooperation. The authors have carried out the assessment of the expressiveness of behavior according to the mentioned strategies at three levels: low, medium and high. It has been clarified that the use of aggressive and regressive behavior strategies and assistance seeking are the most typical for police officers.Comparison of the indicators of testometric and behavioral aggressiveness of the officers of the National Police has been conducted. It has been found out that none of the testometric indicators of aggression of police officers increases linearly in the case of comparison between the groups selected by the level of behavioral aggression. It points to the fact that the real behavioral aggressiveness is a polyderterministic, multifactorial phenomenon. The authors have determined two indicators of testometric aggressiveness of police officers, which differ in polar according to behavioral aggressiveness of groups – they are verbal and substantive aggression. Thus, these types of aggression serve as empirically verified testometric indicators of behavioral aggressiveness and can be used for its evaluation in the process of professional and psychological selection of candidates for service in police and in the psychological support of police officers.On the basis of the conducted research, the authors have concluded about the fundamental possibility of using psychological training as a mean of psychological diagnosis of aggressive behavior of police officers.