Most of daily life hums along peacefully but provocations tip the balance toward aggression. Negative feelings are often invoked to explain why people lash out after an insult. Yet might retaliate because provocation makes aggression hedonically rewarding. To test this alternative hypothesis, 69 participants underwent functional neuroimaging while they completed a behavioral task that repeatedly manipulated whether was preceded by instance or not. After provocation, greater activity in...

Emotions play a prominent role in social life, yet the direct impact of emotions on behavior and judgment remains point disagreement. The current investigation used meta-analysis to test two theoretical perspectives. emotion-as-direct-causation perspective asserts that guide judgment, whereas emotion-as-feedback anticipated judgment. Although was frequently tested, only 22% tests were significant. rarely 87% Our findings suggest empirical evidence is weak for default assumption emotion...

How does emotion explain the relationship between social rejection and aggression? Rejection reliably damages mood, leaving individuals motivated to repair their negatively valenced affective state. Retaliatory aggression is often a pleasant experience. Rejected may then harness revenge's associated positive affect mood. Across 6 studies (total N = 1,516), we tested prediction that rejection-aggression link by expected actual mood repair. Further, predicted this would occur through of...

A vast body of research showed that social exclusion can trigger aggression. However, the neural mechanisms involved in regulating aggressive responses to are still largely unknown. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) modulates excitability a target region. Building on studies suggesting activity right ventrolateral pre-frontal cortex (rVLPFC) might aid regulation or inhibition exclusion-related distress, we hypothesized non-invasive brain polarization through tDCS over rVLPFC...

Experimental manipulations in social psychology must exhibit construct validity by influencing their intended psychological constructs. Yet how do experimenters attempt to establish the of manipulations? Following a preregistered plan, we coded 348 experimental from 2017 issues Journal Personality and Social Psychology. Representing reliance on “on-the-fly” experimentation, vast majority these were created ad hoc for given study not previously validated before implementation. A minority had...

Social rejection often increases aggression, but the neural mechanisms underlying this effect remain unclear. This experiment tested whether activity in dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) and insula response to social predicted greater subsequent aggression. Additionally, it executive functioning moderated relationship. Participants completed a behavioral measure of functioning, experienced while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging then task which they could aggress against...

Aggressive behavior hurts us all and is studied across psychology’s subdisciplines. Classical theories discuss the causes of aggression in context negative affect (e.g., frustration, pain). However, more recent research implicates positive as an important correlate cause aggression. Such aggressive pleasure likely evolved from ancient predatory tendencies that later yielded reproductive benefits, holds reactive proactive forms aggression, used strategically item many people’s...

Sadism is a "dark" trait that involves the experience of pleasure from others' pain, yet much unknown about its link to aggression. Across eight studies (total N = 2,255), sadism predicted greater aggression against both innocent targets and provocateurs. These associations occurred above-and-beyond general aggressiveness, impulsivity, other traits. was associated with positive affect during aggression, which accounted for variance in sadism-aggression link. This aggressive contingent on...

The Taylor Aggression Paradigm (TAP) is a frequently used laboratory measure of aggression. However, the flexibility inherent in its implementation and analysis can undermine validity. To test whether TAP valid aggression irrespective this flexibility, we conducted two preregistered studies (Study 1 n = 177, Study 2 167) standardized version TAP. Across both studies, scores showed agreement with other measures, were magnified by an experimental provocation manipulation, associated traits...

The negative affect that results from feedback is a substantial, proximal cause of aggression. People high in maladaptive perfectionism, the tendency to focus on discrepancy between one's standards and performance, are characterized by an exaggerated affective response feedback. This exacerbated failure may then dispose them hurt others themselves as aggression self-harm often perceived means regulate affect. In Study 1, we demonstrated perfectionism was linked greater aggressive behavior...

Individuals with genotypes that code for reduced dopaminergic brain activity often exhibit a predisposition toward aggression. However, it remains largely unknown how may increase Lower-functioning dopamine systems motivate individuals to seek reward from external sources such as illicit drugs and other risky experiences. Based on emerging evidence aggression is rewarding experience, we predicted the effect of lower-functioning functioning would be mediated by tendencies environment rewards....

Narcissists behave aggressively when their egos are threatened by interpersonal insults. This effect has been explained in terms of narcissists' motivation to reduce the discrepancy between grandiose self and its version, though no research directly tested this hypothesis. If notion is true, link narcissism retaliatory aggression should be moderated neural structures that subserve detection, such as dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC). study hypothesis would only predict greater response...

Suspicion probes in experimental psychology are a widely used methodological tool and often touted as gold standard approach to ensure internal validity. However, suspicion (A) allow investigators flexibly exclude participants analyze their data (B) remain unvalidated — two factors that can undermine the evidentiary value of scientific literature employs these practices. In an initial, broad meta-analytic p-curve 200 effects from five eminent journals psychology, we found lower among studies...

Narcissism is characterized by the search for affirmation and admiration from others. Might this motivation to find external sources of acclaim exist compensate neurostructural deficits that link self with reward? Greater structural connectivity between brain areas process self-relevant stimuli (i.e. medial prefrontal cortex) reward ventral striatum) associated fundamentally positive self-views. We predicted narcissism would be less integrity frontostriatal pathway. used diffusion tensor...

Social rejection is a painful event that often increases aggression. However, the neural mechanisms of this rejection-aggression link remain unclear. A potential clue may be rejected people recruit ventrolateral prefrontal cortex's (VLPFC) self-regulatory processes to manage pain rejection. Using functional MRI, we replicated previous links between and activity in brain's mentalizing network, social network VLPFC. VLPFC recruitment during was associated with greater reward (i.e. ventral...

Impulsivity is a multifaceted trait with substantial implications for human well-being. One facet of impulsivity negative urgency, the tendency to act impulsively in response affect. Correlational evidence suggests that affect magnifies impulsive behavior among individuals greater yet causal this core pillar urgency theory lacking. To fill gap literature, participants (N = 363) were randomly assigned experience social rejection (a situation shown induce affect) or acceptance. Participants...

People differ in how much they seek retribution for interpersonal insults, slights, rejections, and other antagonistic actions. Identifying individuals who are most prone towards such revenge‐seeking is a theoretically‐informative potentially violence‐reducing endeavor. However, we have yet to understand the extent which exhibit specific features of aggressiveness, impulsivity, what motivates their hunt retribution. Toward this end, conducted three studies (total N = 673), was measured...