Citation

Robinson MD, Fetterman AK, Hopkins K, Krishnakumar S. Person. Soc. Psychol. Bull. 2013; 39(10): 1268-1279.

Affiliation

North Dakota State University, Fargo, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/0146167213490642

PMID

23754040

Abstract

Provocations and frustrating events can trigger an urge to act aggressively. Such behaviors can be controlled, but perhaps more so for people who can better distinguish effective from ineffective courses of action. The present three studies (total N = 285) introduce a scenario-based measure of this form of social competence (SC). In Study 1, higher levels of SC predicted lower levels of trait anger. Study 2 presented provocation scenarios and asked people whether they would engage in direct, indirect, and symbolic forms of aggression when provoked. SC was inversely predictive of all forms of aggressive responding. Study 3 focused on reactions to frustrating events in daily life. Such events were predictive of hostile behavior and cognitive failures particularly at low levels of SC. The research establishes that SC can be assessed in an objective manner and that variations in it are systematically predictive of reactive aggression.

Language: en