Kicking The Barking Dog Effect: Effects of Anger and Trigger Identity on Triggered Displaced Aggression

Abstract

Based on “kicking the barking dog” effect, this study investigated the mechanism of triggered displaced aggression from the perspectives of individuals and groups. The results revealed that (1) when the provocation and triggering situation appeared simultaneously, individuals showed a stronger hostile attribution and aggression toward the trigger; (2) The hostile attribution played a complete mediating role in the influence of anger on the triggered displaced aggression, and the triggering situation played a moderating role. In case of triggering situations, individuals showed stronger hostile attribution with an increase in anger. When there was no triggering situation, the change in anger had no significant effect; (3) Trigger identity played a moderating role in the path of “anger → hostile attribution → triggered displaced aggression” in the triggering situation. Compared with the in-group of the trigger, individuals made stronger judgments of hostile attribution to the out-group of the trigger, when in a state of anger, and subsequently activated the triggered displaced aggression. However, for the out-group of trigger, there was no significant effect. This study expands the scope of application of kicking the barking dog effect and provides suggestions for controlling the escalation of intergroup conflicts.