PSYCHOLOGY MASTER'S THESIS ABSTRACT

Nichole Rivera

MA-Research
May 2008

The Effect of Situational Target Status and Personality on Triggered Displaced Aggression

    Research has shown that triggered displaced aggression, occurring when a minor triggering event follows an initial provocation, is moderated by numerous situation and personality variables.  The study replicates previous findings and explores a novel variation, the role of target status.  Utilizing a constant initial provocation, this study employed a 2 (Trigger: Yes/No) x 2 (Target Status: Low/High) between subjects design and examined 3 potential personality moderators: authoritarianism, impulsivity, and trait displaced aggression.  Contrary to expectations, status of the target did not significantly interact with trigger.  However, consistent with previous findings, participants in trigger conditions displaced significantly more aggression than those in the no-trigger condition.  Furthermore, impulsivity and authoritarianism each interacted with the trigger: triggered participants high in impulsivity displaced significantly more aggression than those in the no-trigger condition; highly authoritarian participants exhibited increased displaced aggression in the non-trigger condition.  Directions for future research are discussed.

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