The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between violent media programming, aggression and prosocial behaviors among Black college students. The study included 108 Black college students from a historically Black college/university on the East Coast. The researcher evaluated the participants’ aggression using Buss & Warren’s (2000) Aggression Questionnaire and evaluated the participants’ prosocial behaviors using Penner’s (1995) prosocial personality battery. The researcher then used an independent samples t-test to analyze the data and test the hypothesis that a relationship between the variables exists. Furthermore, the researcher employed discriminant analysis to determine if group membership could be predicted, based on scores on the aggression questionnaire. The independent samples t-test produced results that indicated a statistically significant difference in mean scores on the aggression questionnaire, between light viewers and heavy viewers of violent media programming. The discriminant analysis produced results which indicated the predictor variable, scores on the aggression questionnaire, predicts group membership in either heavy or light viewers, at a statistically significant level (p= .024). Additionally, visual inspection of the scores on the prosocial personality battery indicated participants who reported engaging in violent media programming scored significantly lower on the prosocial personality battery than those who reported engaging in light viewing of violent media programming. Results contribute to literature, research, practice and theory in the field of counseling.

Previous research has indicated that the Masculine Gender Role Stress (MGRS) scale has been useful in identifying men who are susceptible to appraising threat in situations that challenge their masculine gender roles. Furthermore, Zillmann's excitation-transfer theory has proposed that elevated levels of physiological reactivity may interfere with men's appraisal processes and ability to control their emotions and behavior. Therefore, the primary purpose of this study was to examine the independent and combined effects of men's appraisal of threat and physiological pre-arousal on cognitive, affective, behavioral, and physiological responses to masculine relevant female partner behavior that challenges masculinity. Eighty college men who scored high or low on the MGRS were exposed to cold or room temperature water to induce the arousal or non-arousal conditions, respectively, prior to exposure to vignettes. They then listened to audio-taped vignettes of hypothetical situations involving dating partners who threatened the male's masculinity in the relationship in either masculine gender relevant or irrelevant contexts. Skin conductance level (SCL) and heart rate (HR) were obtained before, during, and after exposure to arousal or non-arousal conditions and each vignette. Measures of anger, negative affect, and appraisal were obtained in response to the different arousal conditions. Cognitive attributions, anger, negative affect, and verbal conflict tactics were obtained in response to each vignette. Results showed that the arousal condition produced greater HR than did the non-arousal condition. High MGRS men reported more negative affect and more negative appraisal in the arousal condition than in the non-arousal condition compared to low MGRS men. In response to the vignettes, high MGRS men reported more state anger, negative intent attributions, and verbal aggression tactics than did low MGRS men. Results also showed that gender irrelevant vignettes produced greater HR in the arousal condition than in the non-arousal condition. Finally, relative to high MGRS men, low MGRS men evidenced greater SCL during both arousal conditions and vignettes. However, results did not support an expected relationship between the effects of MGRS and pre-arousal on cognitive, affective, and physiological responses to gender relevant threats. Implications of these results for future research were discussed. / Ph. D.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions that college age women have of social aggression and its consequences in their lives. Qualitative research methods were used to analyze written narrative responses to a question posed to women enrolled in a human sexuality class at Virginia Tech. Although 83 narrative responses were selected, 32 narratives that met criteria were examined using modified analytic induction. A coding scheme was devised and the codes were applied to each narrative and revised many times. The findings of the study suggest that the consequences of social aggression continue for months and even years after incident has occurred. Women indicated that their relationships have changed due to their experiences and that these experiences have made them cautious of friendships with women. Furthermore, many women acknowledged that they perceive men to be more trustworthy and better friends than women because of the "mean" nature of women. Additionally, women had a difficult time acknowledging their own meanness and attempted to justify meanness that they did acknowledge. Further research is needed to explain why women feel they cannot trust other women. Additionally, more research is needed to explain why women perceive men to be more trustworthy and why they perceive that men are better friends when previous research suggests that social aggression levels even out during late adolescence and emerging adulthood. / Master of Science

The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine differences between female and male aggression; to examine the effect various aggression, dominance, and couple variables have on female physical aggression; to identify which combination of these variables bests explains female aggression in a sample of couples seeking therapy for domestic violence/anger management; and to identify the influence of male physical aggression on the predictor variables. Overall, based on women's reports, 74.6% (n=63) of the women and 86.2% (n=74) of the men in this sample used at least one act of physical aggression against their partner in the past year. With the exception of slapping and using a knife or gun against partner, men perpetrated individual acts of physical aggression significantly more than did women. Aggression, dominance, and couple variables were found to be significantly correlated with and predictive of female physical aggression. Overall, this study found that 55% of the variance in women's use of physical aggression was predicted by women's psychological aggression, husband demand/wife withdrawal communication pattern, male and female jealousy, and women's disparagement of their partners. Male physical aggression only added 3% of the variance when added to this combination of variables. Since women's physical aggression is explained by various relationship dynamics the theory that women are aggressive only in self-defense is questioned. / Master of Science

The thesis investigates the relation between interparental verbal aggression, parent-daughter verbal aggression, and verbal aggression in female Hispanic college student’s dating relationships (N= 599). This study builds on previous work that has been conducted to provide evidence of the influence of parental verbal conflict strategies on college women’s own experiences with and use of verbal aggression (Black, Sussman, & Unger, 2010; Luthra & Gidycz, 2006; Martin, 1990; Palazzolo, Roberto, & Babin, 2010; Riggs & O’Leary, 1996). However, this is the first study that has specifically examined this phenomenon within a Hispanic population. Results showed that mothers’ high levels of verbal conflict with fathers were predictive of having high levels of verbal conflicts with their daughters. This in turn, predicted daughters’ use of verbal conflict with their intimate partner. Similarly, fathers’ high levels of verbal conflict with mothers were predictive of having high levels of verbal conflicts with their daughters. However, this was not found to be predictive of daughters’ use of verbal conflict with their intimate partner.

The purpose of the current study is to examine the association between self-esteem and the forms and functions of aggression. Research supports the existence of four aggressive subtypes (i.e., reactive overt, reactive relational, proactive overt, and proactive relational), and past research has found associations between aggression and self-esteem. However, past studies have not examined the relationships between all four subtypes of aggression and self-esteem together. 141 adolescents were recruited from the community with a mean age of 13.55. The sampled group was composed of 51% females and 52% Caucasians. Participants completed self-report questionnaires on self-esteem and aggression. The results provide support for an association between proactive aggression and self-esteem. Additionally, overt aggression was more associated with self-esteem than relational aggression. These findings will help fill the gap in literature on the forms and functions of aggression and will further define the relationship between aggression and self-esteem.

Previous research has demonstrated an association between violence exposure and aggression; however, research exploring the association between violence exposure and the forms and functions of aggression is scarce. The aim of this study was to explore the associations between trauma exposure with both reactive and proactive functions of aggression by examining two potential mediators (e.g., psychopathic traits and emotional dysregulation). Participants included 132 male juvenile offenders mandated to treatment in a residential facility (M = 16.78 years old; SD = 1.25). Results indicate emotional dysregulation partially mediated the association between trauma exposure and reactive aggression while controlling for proactive aggression. However, no evidence was found to support the hypothesis that psychopathic traits mediated the association between trauma exposure and proactive aggression. Results suggest trauma exposure is important in the development of reactive aggression. Thus, treatment approaches for aggressive youth should address issues of trauma exposure.

<p>I dagens samhälle ökar våldsbrotten bland ungdomar och våld, hot, mobbning och vandalism är vanligt förekommande. Vi har valt att titta på aggressioner hos ungdomar ur olika perspektiv, främst inlärningsteori och kognitiv teori. Samhället behöver ge ungdomar verktyg för att kunna agera annorlunda än med aggression i olika situationer, ett sätt är behandlingsmetoden ART. ART (Aggression Replacement Training) är en behandlingsmodell som syftar till att ge personer sociala alternativ till ilska och aggressioner. Genom ett antal kvalitativa intervjuer på två SIS-institutioner, där ungdomar med tung social problematik är placerade genom LVU och LSU, har vi försökt komma underfund med vad ungdomarna som genomgått behandlingen har för åsikter om den och om de själva tror sig kunna ha nytta av behandlingen även i framtiden. Vi har också undersökt behandlarens roll, och vad ungdomarna tyckte om behandlarna. Resultatet av intervjuerna är mycket positivt, ungdomarna var i allmänhet mycket positiva till metoden och kom även med förslag på hur den skulle kunna göras bättre. Efter att ha gjort halvstrukturerade kvalitativa intervjuer användes en manifest innehållsanalys för att analysera de svar vi fått under intervjuerna.</p>

I dagens samhälle ökar våldsbrotten bland ungdomar och våld, hot, mobbning och vandalism är vanligt förekommande. Vi har valt att titta på aggressioner hos ungdomar ur olika perspektiv, främst inlärningsteori och kognitiv teori. Samhället behöver ge ungdomar verktyg för att kunna agera annorlunda än med aggression i olika situationer, ett sätt är behandlingsmetoden ART. ART (Aggression Replacement Training) är en behandlingsmodell som syftar till att ge personer sociala alternativ till ilska och aggressioner. Genom ett antal kvalitativa intervjuer på två SIS-institutioner, där ungdomar med tung social problematik är placerade genom LVU och LSU, har vi försökt komma underfund med vad ungdomarna som genomgått behandlingen har för åsikter om den och om de själva tror sig kunna ha nytta av behandlingen även i framtiden. Vi har också undersökt behandlarens roll, och vad ungdomarna tyckte om behandlarna. Resultatet av intervjuerna är mycket positivt, ungdomarna var i allmänhet mycket positiva till metoden och kom även med förslag på hur den skulle kunna göras bättre. Efter att ha gjort halvstrukturerade kvalitativa intervjuer användes en manifest innehållsanalys för att analysera de svar vi fått under intervjuerna.

Mobbing är ett socialt problem. Därför skapades denna studie för att se om samband råder mellan mobbad, mobbare och personlighetsegenskaper. Dessutom gjordes en könsfördelning för att se om det råder några signifikanta skillnader i händelse, kön och personlighet. För att få svar på dessa syften ställdes frågorna: Hur ser mobbingen ut och vilka drabbas? Har kön och personlighetsegenskaper någon betydelse för om man blir mobbad eller utsätter andra för mobbing? Till hjälp användes en kvantitativ undersökningsmetod. En enkätstudie, där tre klasser i årskurs nio deltog. Det resultat som framkom var att tjejer i allt större utsträckning mobbar och mobbas och använder sig av mer grövre metoder än tidigare. Dessutom visar studien att det finns en signifikant skillnad i personlighet karakteristiska neurotisk och de som utsätts för mobbning.AbstractBullying is a social problem. Therefore this study was created to see if there was a connection between being bullied, bullies, and personality characteristics. In addition a balance to see if there was any significant difference in the event, gender and personality. To answer these objectives the questions were: What is bullying and who is affected? Do gender and personality characteristics have an impact on whether one is being bullied or subjecting others to bullying? A quantitative questionnaire survey was used in three classes for students in ninth grade. The results showed that girls were more widely both bullies and bullied. And apply the increasingly violent methods. In addition, the study shows that there is a significant difference in personality characteristic neuroticism and those that are subjected to bullying.