Citation

Banse R, Messer M, Fischer I. Aggressive Behav. 2014; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität, Bonn, Germany.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, International Society for Research on Aggression, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/AB.21574

PMID

25503344

Abstract

The Implicit Association Test (IAT, Greenwald, McGhee, & Schwartz, 1998) was adapted to assess the automatically activated (implicit) self-concept of aggressiveness. In three studies the validity of the Aggressiveness-IAT (Agg-IAT) was supported by substantial correlations with self-report measures of aggressiveness. After controlling for self-report measures of aggressiveness, the Agg-IAT accounted for 9-15% of the variance of three different indicators of aggressive behavior across three studies. To further explore the nomological network around the Agg-IAT we investigated its correlations with measures of social desirability (SD). Although not fully conclusive, the results across four studies provided some support for a weak negative correlation between impression management SD and aggressive behavior as well as the Agg-IAT. This result is in line with an interpersonally oriented self-control account of impression management SD. Individuals with high SD scores seem to behave less aggressively, and to show lower Agg-IAT scores. The one-week stability of the Agg-IAT was r = .58 in Study 4. Aggr. Behav. 9999:XX-XX, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Language: en