TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2016//
TI  - Empathy inhibits aggression in competition: the role of provocation, emotion, and gender
JO  - Journal of sport and exercise psychology
A1  - Stanger, Nicholas
A1  - Kavussanu, Maria
A1  - McIntyre, David
A1  - Ring, Christopher
SP  - 4
EP  - 14
VL  - 38
IS  - 1
N2  - Although the empathy-aggression relationship has been well documented, research has yet to establish whether emotions mediate and gender moderates this relationship in athletes, under conditions of low and high provocation. In this experiment, we assigned team-sport athletes to either a high (n = 40) or a low (n = 40) empathy group, and asked them to compete in a reaction-time task against a (fictitious) opponent, under conditions of low and high provocation. Empathy reduced aggression (i.e., intensity of electrical shock administered to the opponent) at low provocation in men, and at both low and high provocation in women. Guilt mediated the effect of empathy on aggression at low provocation in men; anger did not mediate any effects of empathy on aggression. Our findings indicate that the inhibitory effect of empathy on aggression and the mediating role of guilt are moderated by provocation and gender.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0895-2779
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1123/jsep.2014-0332
ID  - ref1
ER  -