Aggressive Impulse Management

Ohio State University, The, Columbus OH

Investigators

Abstract

Aggression takes a tremendous toll on society, and it is vital to learn how people may withhold their aggressive impulses. Unfortunately, people seem to have fewer and less effective techniques for controlling aggression than for controlling other emotional impulses. A key problem is that popular strategies for reducing aggression tend to be least effective in the heat of the moment, when tempers can flare. The proposed research introduces a new motivational approach that circumvents this problem. This work will contribute towards the development of more efficient methods for reducing aggression. This is critically important, as aggression reduction is instrumental in preventing countless acts of violence, ranging from domestic violence to aggravated assault and homicide. The proposed research will target aggressive impulses directly. Prior research has shown that aggressive impulses are characterized by a strong drive towards approach actions, for instance, to blurt out an insulting remark or to hit someone. By blocking this motivation towards approach actions, it may be possible to lower people's impulse to aggress. The proposed research will systematically investigate these motivational influences, and will test whether experimentally manipulating avoidance (versus approach) motivation can reduce the impact of factors that are known to increase aggression, including alcohol, the male sex hormone testosterone, and exposure to media violence. In addition, the proposed research will develop a training program that is geared towards reducing the motivation to aggress. It is expected that lowering approach motivation will particularly reduce aggression among angry individuals who are driven by their impulses and, thus, otherwise most likely to aggress.