Citation

Terrell HK, Hill ED, Nagoshi CT. Sex Roles 2008; 59(11-12): 814-826.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s11199-008-9486-3

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Southwest US undergraduates (78 female, 72 male) were tested in a laboratory aggressive behavior paradigm involving noise blasts participants could use against another (bogus) same-sex competitor in a point-earning task. Status of the competitor (low vs. high) and expectation to meet the competitor (meet vs. no meet) were experimentally manipulated. A significant gender × aggression proneness × status interaction indicated that aggression-prone men were more likely to aggress against a high status competitor, while aggression-prone women were more likely to aggress against a low status competitor. Interactions of narcissism and sensation seeking with gender and anticipated meeting indicated that men but not women high in these personality traits were more likely to aggress, but only towards competitors they anticipated meeting.