Hostile Attribution Bias and Anger Rumination Sequentially Mediate the Association Between Trait Anger and Reactive Aggression

Abstract

Reactive aggression is a type of aggression that has severe consequences in individual’s psychosocial development and social stability. Trait anger is a risk personality factor for reactive aggression. However, the mediating mechanism of this relationship has not been sufficiently analyzed. We proposed that hostile attribution bias and anger rumination may be cognitive factors that play mediating roles in the relationship between trait anger and reactive aggression. To test this hypothesis, a sample of 600 undergraduates (51.67% females, Mage = 20.51, SD = 1.11) participated in this study. Findings showed that hostile attribution bias, anger rumination sequentially mediated the association between trait anger and reactive aggression. These results highlight the importance of anger rumination and hostile attribution bias to explain the link between trait anger and reactive aggression in undergraduates. The findings of the present study also provide valuable information about the role of negative cognitive activities (e.g., hostile attribution, ruminate in anger emotion) in high trait anger individual may trigger reactive aggression. The limitations of the study are discussed, along with suggestions for future research.

The link between anger and reactive aggression: Insights into anger rumination

“…In line with previous studies (Frøyland & von Soest, 2020;Kokkinos et al, 2021;Quan et al, 2022), anger at T1 was significantly correlated with anger rumination and reactive aggression at T2, indicating that individuals with higher-level anger are more likely to experience anger rumination and engage in reactive aggression. Furthermore, the mediating effect of anger rumination between anger and reactive-aggression can explain the underlying mechanism of anger inducing reactive aggression.…”

“…Moreover, the mediating effect of anger rumination in the relationship between anger and reactive aggression was supported only in the self-immersed group, with higher anger rumination correlating with increased reactive aggression. Notably, inclusion of anger rumination in the mediation model eradicated the significant association between anger and reactive aggression, thus underscoring the immediate predictive influence of anger rumination on reactive aggression (Quan et al, 2022). Conversely, within the selfdistanced group, anger rumination did not mediate between anger and reactive aggression, nor could it forecast subsequent reactive aggression.…”

“…Therefore, both trait and state anger are related to anger rumination (Borders & Lu, 2017;Fabiansson et al, 2012). Second, anger rumination could predict aggression and is positively associated with physical, relational, and verbal aggression (García-Sancho et al, 2016;Peters et al, 2015;Quan et al, 2022). Previous research found that anger rumination is a significant predictor of retaliatory (Contreras & Novaco, 2023;Hosie et al, 2022) and displacement aggression (Beames et al, 2019;Lievaart et al, 2017).…”

“…Previous research found that anger rumination is a significant predictor of retaliatory (Contreras & Novaco, 2023;Hosie et al, 2022) and displacement aggression (Beames et al, 2019;Lievaart et al, 2017). One possible explanation is that anger rumination focuses on processing hostile and anger-provoking details, thereby promoting aggression (Lievaart et al, 2017;Putman et al, 2004;Quan et al, 2022). However, except one related study revealing the mediating role of anger rumination in the relationship between anger and social-aggression (Li & Xia, 2020), longitudinal research examining the impact of anger on reactive aggression is lacking (Cabral & de Almeida, 2019;Deffenbacher et al, 2003;Fung et al, 2015).…”

“…Moreover, considering the impact of anger rumination on aggression (Quan et al, 2022;Salguero et al, 2020) and its potential role in the progression from anger to reactive aggression, we proposed the following: H3. Self-distanced anger rumination blocks the link between anger and reactive aggression, that is, anger rumination mediates the association between anger and reactive aggression in the self-immersed group but not the self-distanced group.…”