Citation

Zeichner A, Parrott DJ, Frey FC. Aggressive Behav. 2003; 29(2): 95-106.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2003, International Society for Research on Aggression, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/ab.10030

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Eighty-four undergraduate student volunteers were tested on the Response Choice Aggression Paradigm [Zeichner et al., 1999]. Men (n=43) and women (n=41) participants were provoked in a reaction time competition by receiving electric shocks and were allowed to respond to a confederate with similar shocks or to refrain from any retaliation. Results indicated that men administered more shocks, chose more intense shocks, and administered the highest available shock at a greater proportion relative to all their shock selections than did women. In contrast, women evinced a longer latency before becoming aggressive and initiated aggression at lower intensities than did men. Moreover, across shock trials, gender-specific aggression patterns indicated that while men alternated response frequency, women gradually increased their response frequency to a peak close to the end of the task. The results confirm earlier findings of gender differences in aggression and offer new indices of aggression “flashpoint” as a step closer to understanding aggressive behavior in naturalistic circumstances. Aggr. Behav. 29:95–106, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.