Excellence in Research: Attitudes, Motivations, and Justifications Surrounding Interpersonal Aggression

Winston-Salem State University, Winston Salem NC

Investigators

Abstract

Although interpersonal aggression affects all communities, Black men and women experience a disproportionate amount of it when compared to other racial/ethnic groups. The few available studies focused on Black college students (BCS) show that they experience elevated levels of interpersonal aggression, which is associated with numerous adverse psychological, physical, emotional, and educational outcomes. The goal of this study is to understand perpetration and victimization of aggression among BCS by testing a social psychologically grounded conceptual model. The research will make important theoretical and empirical contributions by providing a glimpse into the psychological and social processes related to incidence and prevalence of aggression among students. Additionally, findings may be used to help develop violence prevention and intervention programs, and/or to inform campus policies and procedures. This project will also provide undergraduate psychology students with hands-on research opportunities. The integration of undergraduate students into this project is designed to strengthen students' academic skills, and create a culture of science and research with the aim of increasing student interest, representation, and persistence in STEM fields. This mixed-method study will test a conceptual model that incorporates empirical findings from the existing interpersonal aggression literature, but also includes social and cultural variables known to influence violence and aggression among Black men and women. Specifically, the framework draws concepts from social cognitive theory, social determination theory, and the social justification model. The study will recruit a diverse sample of BCS. Data will be collected from BCS on various campuses (e.g., Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Minority Serving Institutions, and Predominantly White Institutions) using focus groups, in-depth interviews, and an online quantitative survey. The results of this study will not only contribute to the scientific understanding of interpersonal aggression perpetration and victimization in general, but will also emphasize the importance of understanding the social and cultural proximal and distal factors that influence engagement in interpersonal aggression, from the perspective of both perpetrators and victims. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.