Psychophysiological underpinnings of proactive and reactive aggression in young men and women

Nicholas D. Thomson; Salpi Kevorkian; James Blair; Albert Farrell; Samuel J. West; James M. Bjork

doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2021.113601

Psychophysiological underpinnings of proactive and reactive aggression in young men and women

Nicholas D. Thomson, Salpi Kevorkian, James Blair, Albert Farrell, Samuel J. West, James M. Bjork

Great Plains IDeA-CTR

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

8 Scopus citations

Abstract

Reactive aggression is posited to occur as a result of hypersensitivity to threat, whereas fearlessness may drive proactive aggression. This study aimed to test if physiological fear reactivity differentially relates to self-report reactive and proactive aggression using immersive virtual reality fear (VR) induction. We collected subjective fear ratings and sympathetic (SNS; skin conductance) and parasympathetic (PNS; respiratory sinus arrhythmia) nervous system reactivity during an interactive VR horror video. Results showed that for men and women, reactive aggression was related to heightened SNS fear reactivity. For men, proactive aggression was related to hypoarousal of the PNS and SNS (coinhibition) during fear induction, whereas augmented PNS was related to proactive aggression in women. These results support the fearlessness hypothesis for proactive aggression in men, but this does not replicate in women. By contrast, hypersensitivity to fear is related to reactive aggression for both men and women.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	113601
Journal	Physiology and Behavior
Volume	242
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2021.113601
State	Published - Dec 1 2021

Keywords

Fear
Proactive aggression
Psychophysiology
Reactive aggression
Sex differences

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Behavioral Neuroscience

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10.1016/j.physbeh.2021.113601

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title = "Psychophysiological underpinnings of proactive and reactive aggression in young men and women",

abstract = "Reactive aggression is posited to occur as a result of hypersensitivity to threat, whereas fearlessness may drive proactive aggression. This study aimed to test if physiological fear reactivity differentially relates to self-report reactive and proactive aggression using immersive virtual reality fear (VR) induction. We collected subjective fear ratings and sympathetic (SNS; skin conductance) and parasympathetic (PNS; respiratory sinus arrhythmia) nervous system reactivity during an interactive VR horror video. Results showed that for men and women, reactive aggression was related to heightened SNS fear reactivity. For men, proactive aggression was related to hypoarousal of the PNS and SNS (coinhibition) during fear induction, whereas augmented PNS was related to proactive aggression in women. These results support the fearlessness hypothesis for proactive aggression in men, but this does not replicate in women. By contrast, hypersensitivity to fear is related to reactive aggression for both men and women.",

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author = "Thomson, {Nicholas D.} and Salpi Kevorkian and James Blair and Albert Farrell and West, {Samuel J.} and Bjork, {James M.}",

note = "Funding Information: Dr. Thomson's work on this article was supported, in part, by the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (1R01CE003296–01, 5K01CE003160–02) and National Institute of Mental Health (1R01MH123535–01). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH or CDC. Funding Information: Dr. Thomson's work on this article was supported, in part, by the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( 1R01CE003296–01 , 5K01CE003160–02 ) and National Institute of Mental Health ( 1R01MH123535–01 ). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH or CDC. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021",

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AU - Bjork, James M.

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PY - 2021/12/1

Y1 - 2021/12/1

N2 - Reactive aggression is posited to occur as a result of hypersensitivity to threat, whereas fearlessness may drive proactive aggression. This study aimed to test if physiological fear reactivity differentially relates to self-report reactive and proactive aggression using immersive virtual reality fear (VR) induction. We collected subjective fear ratings and sympathetic (SNS; skin conductance) and parasympathetic (PNS; respiratory sinus arrhythmia) nervous system reactivity during an interactive VR horror video. Results showed that for men and women, reactive aggression was related to heightened SNS fear reactivity. For men, proactive aggression was related to hypoarousal of the PNS and SNS (coinhibition) during fear induction, whereas augmented PNS was related to proactive aggression in women. These results support the fearlessness hypothesis for proactive aggression in men, but this does not replicate in women. By contrast, hypersensitivity to fear is related to reactive aggression for both men and women.

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Psychophysiological underpinnings of proactive and reactive aggression in young men and women

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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