Unprovoked Aggression: Effects of Psychopathic Traits and Sadism

Unprovoked Aggression: Effects of Psychopathic Traits and Sadism
Dennis E. Reidy, Amos Zeichner, L. Alana Seibert, 2011

Psychopathic individuals engage in the most violent and cold-blooded acts of aggression. In the laboratory, psychopathy traits have been linked to the commission of unprovoked aggression. The purpose of this study was to assess affective motives that may underlie the relationship between psychopathy and unprovoked aggression. One hundred thirty-seven men viewed a series of photographs depicting violent imagery, completed a lexical decision task designed to assess state affect, and competed in a laboratory-based aggression paradigm. Results indicated that participants who responded faster to happiness words after viewing violent imagery (i.e., sadistic) were significantly more likely to engage in unprovoked aggression. Additionally, Factor 1 psychopathy (emotional detachment) predicted increased probability of unprovoked aggression; however, this relationship was not mediated by sadism. Rather, Factor 1 and sadism each independently predicted unprovoked aggression. The implications of the present data suggest that the type of violence evinced may inform the risk for perpetration of future acts. That is, the individual who demonstrates unprovoked violence may be more likely to employ aggressive tactics across situational contexts than the individual who demonstrates only impulsive acts of hostile/reactive aggression.

Narcissism and unprovoked aggression

Narcissism and unprovoked aggression
Dennis E. Reidy, Joshua D. Foster, Amos Zeichner, 2010

It is widely accepted that narcissists become aggressive when they experience ego-threat. However, there is surprisingly little empirical research on the relationship between narcissism and aggression. Equivocal findings suggest that aggression in narcissists either occurs only in response to provocation, or regardless of provocation. One-hundred and thirty-seven collegiate men completed the Narcissistic Personality Inventory followed by a sham aggression paradigm, which afforded them the opportunity shock, or refrain entirely from shocking an ostensible opponent confederate. Participants were identified as “unprovoked aggressors,” “retaliatory aggressors,” or “nonaggressors” contingent on when and if they chose to administer electrical shocks to the confederate. Results indicated that participants who were high on narcissistic traits were more likely to be unprovoked aggressors than their low narcissism counterparts. Results are discussed in relation to threatened egotism theory and call for more research on narcissism, aggression, and the moderating effect of provocation.

The Influence of Narcissism and Self-Control on Reactive Aggression

The Influence of Narcissism and Self-Control on Reactive Aggression
by Harrison, Melissa L., 2010

The empirical literature to date has indicated that narcissism is associated with reactive aggression; however, exactly why narcissists respond with aggression to provocation is yet to be determined. The present paper is an exploration of two possible means through which a lack of self-control could be an important predictor involved in narcissists’ aggressive behavior: (1) a lack of self-control could explain the link between narcissism and aggression, and (2) the combination of insufficient self-control and narcissism could increase the likelihood of aggressive response to provocation.

To explore these possibilities, an experiment was conducted in which 214 participants were first administered measures of narcissism and self-control. Then, random assignment determined whether the participant would be provoked through negative feedback on his/her performance. Participants were provided opportunities to aggress on two measures: (1) an evaluation of another’s performance, (2) open-ended responses to a situational vignette.

There were two major areas of focus in the results of the study. First, the effect of provocation was examined. As expected, provoked participants provided more aggressive responses on the evaluation of their peer than nonprovoked participants; however, provocation did not affect aggression on the situational vignette. Narcissism was associated with aggression on the situational vignette and not on the evaluation. These findings point to the strength of the situation in the prediction of behavior as it was only when provocation did not produce an effect that personality had a significant influence on aggression.

Second, the relationships among narcissism, self-control and aggression were examined. Narcissism was associated with low self-control as expected. Stepwise linear regression revealed a significant interaction between narcissism and self-control in the prediction of physical aggression in response to the situational vignette. The moderation effect of self-control and narcissism on physical aggression indicates that the combination of high narcissism and low self-control is important in predicting physical aggression. Additional post-hoc exploratory analyses suggest some overlap in the measures. Thus, suggestions for future research and methods of reducing the overlap in construct during measurement are provided.

Parallel syndromes: Two dimensions of narcissism and the facets of psychopathic personality in criminally involved individuals

Parallel syndromes: Two dimensions of narcissism and the facets of psychopathic personality in criminally involved individuals.
Schoenleber, Michelle; Sadeh, Naomi; Verona, Edelyn, Apr 2011

Little research has examined different dimensions of narcissism that may parallel psychopathy facets in criminally involved individuals. In this study, we examined the pattern of relationships between grandiose and vulnerable narcissism, assessed using the Narcissistic Personality Inventory–16 and the Hypersensitive Narcissism Scale, respectively, and the four facets of psychopathy (interpersonal, affective, lifestyle, and antisocial) assessed via the Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version. As predicted, grandiose and vulnerable narcissism showed differential relationships to psychopathy facets, with grandiose narcissism relating positively to the interpersonal facet of psychopathy and vulnerable narcissism relating positively to the lifestyle facet of psychopathy. Paralleling existing psychopathy research, vulnerable narcissism showed stronger associations than grandiose narcissism to (a) other forms of psychopathology, including internalizing and substance use disorders, and (b) self- and other-directed aggression, measured with the Life History of Aggression and the Forms of Aggression Questionnaire. Grandiose narcissism was nonetheless associated with social dysfunction marked by a manipulative and deceitful interpersonal style and unprovoked aggression. Potentially important implications for uncovering etiological pathways and developing treatment interventions for these disorders in externalizing adults are discussed.

Temperament and Disruptive Behavior Disorders

Temperament and Disruptive Behavior Disorders
Klaus Schmeck, Fritz Poustka, 2001

Abstract
In several studies on children with conduct disorder, difficult temperament in infancy was one of the major variables in the explanation of later aggressive behavior. According to these studies, subjects with a combination of high novelty seeking, low harm avoidance and low reward dependence (NS high, HA + RD low) should be most at risk for the development of disruptive behavior disorders. The Junior Temperament and Character Inventory was given to a clinical sample of 65 adolescent patients of both sexes with the diagnoses of conduct disorder (with and without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), emotional disorder (anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, depressive disorder), eating disorder (anorexia, bulimia) or personality disorder (borderline and narcissistic personality disorder). High novelty seeking and low harm avoidance were significantly correlated with externalizing symptoms like aggression and delinquency. In conduct-disordered children and adolescents, we found significantly higher scores of NS compared to the other clinical groups and the normative population, and significantly lower scores of harm avoidance compared to the other clinical groups, but not compared to the normative population. The relative risk of having a conduct disorder was markedly higher in those children and adolescents with elevated scores of novelty seeking.

The relationship between online game addiction and aggression, self-control and narcissistic personality traits

The relationship between online game addiction and aggression, self-control and narcissistic personality traits
Eun Joo Kima, et al 2007.

Abstract
Objectives
This study aimed to explore the relationship between online game addiction and aggression, self-control, and narcissistic personality traits, which are known as the psychological characteristics linked to “at-risk” populations for online game addiction.
Method
A total of 1471 online game users (males 82.7%, females 17.3%, mean age 21.30 ± 4.96) participated in this study and were asked to complete several self-report measures using an online response method. Questionnaires included demographic information and game use-related characteristics of the samples, the online game addiction scale (modified from Young’s Internet addiction scale), the Buss–Perry aggression questionnaire, a self-control scale, and the narcissistic personality disorder scale.
Results
Our results indicated that aggression and narcissistic personality traits are positively correlated with online game addiction, whereas self-control is negatively correlated with online game addiction (p < 0.001). In addition, a multiple regression analysis revealed that the extent of online game addiction could be predicted based on the person's narcissistic personality traits, aggression, self-control, interpersonal relationship, and occupation. However, only 20% of the variance in behavioral consequences was explained with the model.
Conclusion
An interesting profile has emerged from the results of this study, suggesting that certain psychological characteristics such as aggression, self-control, and narcissistic personality traits may predispose some individuals to become addicted to online games. This result will deepen our understanding of the “at-risk” population for online game addiction and provide basic information that can contribute to developing a prevention program for people who are addicted to online games.