Citation

Bettencourt BA, Talley A, Benjamin AJ, Valentine J. Psychol. Bull. 2006; 132(5): 751-777.

Affiliation

Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO 65211, USA. bettencourta@missouri.edu

Copyright

(Copyright © 2006, American Psychological Association)

DOI

10.1037/0033-2909.132.5.751

PMID

16910753

Abstract

The authors conducted a comprehensive review to understand the relation between personality and aggressive behavior, under provoking and nonprovoking conditions. The qualitative review revealed that some personality variables influenced aggressive behavior under both neutral and provocation conditions, whereas others influenced aggressive behavior only under provocation. Studies that assessed personality variables and that directly measured aggressive behavior were included in the quantitative review. Analyses revealed that trait aggressiveness and trait irritability influenced aggressive behavior under both provoking and neutral conditions but that other personality variables (e.g., trait anger, Type A personality, dissipation-rumination) influenced aggressive behavior only under provoking conditions. The authors discuss possible relations between these patterns of aggressive behavior and the personality dimensions of Agreeableness and Neuroticism and consider implications for theories of aggression.

Language: en