Interrelations between Personality Traits and Aggression in Young Men

Abstract

Aggression is significant problem of modern society. Its development mechanisms are not clear to date. We studied relationship between aggression index and extraversion, neuroticism and anxiety levels. The study involved 121 young men aged 18 to 22 years. Aggression index, anxiety, extraversion and neuroticism levels were estimated using BussDurkee Hostility Inventory, Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Eysenck Personality Inventory. In total group of participants the positive correlations between neuroticism and both aggression index and physical aggression were found. In total group negative correlation between extraversion and anxiety and positive correlation between anxiety and neuroticism were revealed. The highest aggression index was found in extraverts and in individuals with high level of neuroticism. No differences in aggression indexes were found between extraverts and persons with middle extraversion, between men with high and middle neuroticism levels. No differences between aggression indexes were shown in men with different levels of anxiety, but aggression index in men with low anxiety was similar to aggression index in extraverts and men with high neuroticism. Analysis of correlation coefficients between temperamental characteristics showed the positive correlation between neuroticism and anxiety in extraverts and men with middle extraversion. A positive correlation between aggression index and neuroticism in extraverts, and positive correlation between aggression index and extraversion in persons with high neuroticism were revealed. Men with high anxiety had positive significant correlation between aggression index and anxiety. Taking into account all the above mentioned tendencies, we suggest, that extraverts with high neuroticism and anxiety levels are prone to impulsive aggression. The individuals with high anxiety, high neuroticism and middle extraversion may be also predisposed to excessive impulsive aggression, due to high positive correlation between anxiety and aggression index in men with high anxiety, strong positive correlation between anxiety and neuroticism and moderate negative correlation between neuroticism and extraversion in persons with middle extraversion. In individuals with low anxiety a negative almost statistically significant (p=0.052) correlation between anxiety and neuroticism, and a positive significant correlation between neuroticism and aggression index were observed. The existence of these correlations together with positive correlations between aggression index and neuroticism in extraverts, between aggression index and extraversion in men with high neuroticism provide the possibility to suggest, that extraverts with low anxiety and high neuroticism may be predisposed to excessive controlled aggression. Extraverts with low anxiety and middle neuroticism can also manifest high aggression due to negative correlation between extraversion and anxiety.