Citation

Campbell A, Muncer S, Gorman B. Aggressive Behav. 1993; 19(2): 125-135.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1993, International Society for Research on Aggression, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Previous research [Campbell and Muncer: Journal for the Theory of Social Behavior 17:489-512, 1987; Campbell et al.: Aggressive Behavior 18:95-108, 1992] suggests that men and women hold different social representations or implicit theories of their own aggression. Men view it is an instrumental act (a means of obtaining and exercising power to gain social rewards), while women view it an expressive act (a cathartic discharge of anger). In the present study, communal/agentic personality styles and gender identity are examined as possible mediators of the relation between sex and Expaag-a psychometric measure of adherence to an expressive representation of aggression. In addition a measure of self-reported aggression is included. The highest correlation appeared between sex and Expaag. Gender identity and interpersonal style made no significant improvement in explained variance in a multiple regression analysis after sex had been entered. An instrumental social representation of aggression was significantly and positively correlated with number of reported aggressive acts.