It can be direct in nature (e.g., directly retaliating against a co-worker) or indirect with aim of inflicting reputational harm (e.g., spreading rumors about a co-worker behind their back). Aggression can be physical (e.g., slapping), or verbal (e.g., shouting abuse). Over the past several decades, scholars have identified the many forms that aggression can take. 245)Īggression is a complex social behavior with many causes and manifestations. Rather, they respond to provocation and are active participants in aggressive interactions.” ( Richardson, 2005, p. “…females…are not passive victims of violence. We highlight that more gender-specific theory-driven hypothesis testing is needed with larger samples of women and aggression paradigms relevant to women. There is some evidence that high levels of estradiol and progesterone are associated with low levels of aggression. Under some circumstances, oxytocin may increase aggression by enhancing reactivity to provocation and simultaneously lowering perceptions of danger that normally inhibit many women from retaliating. The role of cortisol is unclear, although some evidence suggests that women who are high in testosterone and low in cortisol show heightened aggression. Testosterone shows the same small, positive relationship with aggression in women as in men. There are too few studies and most are underpowered to detect unique neural mechanisms associated with aggression in women. Fear of being harmed is a robust inhibitor of direct aggression in women. Women are susceptible to alcohol-related aggression, but this type of aggression may be limited to women high in trait aggression. A very small minority of women are also sexually violent. In the real world, women are just as likely to aggress against their romantic partner as men are, but men cause more serious physical and psychological harm.
In laboratory studies, women are less aggressive than men, but provocation attenuates this difference. Women tend to engage in more indirect forms of aggression (e.g., spreading rumors) than other types of aggression. We review the literature on aggression in women with an emphasis on laboratory experimentation and hormonal and brain mechanisms. 2Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.1School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
0 kommentar(er)
