The moderating effect of dispositional fear of retaliation on the relationship between provocation and aggressive behavior

• Published in: Personality and individual differences Vol. 138; pp. 257 - 265
• Main Authors: Barlett, Christopher P., Madison, Cory, DeWitt, Caroline C., Bailey Heath, J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.02.2019; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Aggression; Aggressiveness; Correlation analysis; Fear & phobias; Fear of retaliation; Feedback; Five factor model; Justification; Manipulation; Provocation; Retaliation; Verbal aggression; Aggression; Fear of retaliation; Provocation
• ISSN: 0191-8869; 1873-3549
• DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2018.10.008

Fear of retaliation plays an integral role in the evolution of provocation into conflict. While previous research has only studied fear of retaliation in the context of a laboratory manipulation or a justification for not detailing transgressions to others, the current research utilized experimental (Study 1) and correlational (Study 2) studies to test the role of dispositional fear of retaliation on aggression. In Study 1, participants were provoked by receiving either positive or negative feedback on an essay they wrote from an ostensible partner and were later given the opportunity to aggress against the partner. Results demonstrated that dispositional fear of retaliation moderated the relationship between provocation and aggression, such that participants who were provoked were more aggressive than non-provoked participants; however, this relationship was nullified for those high on fear of retaliation. In Study 2, participants completed measures to assess the following traits: fear of retaliation, aggression, behavioral inhibition, anxiety, and the Big Five. Results showed that fear of retaliation correlated with physical and verbal aggression, which remained significant while controlling for other trait variables – ruling out alternative hypotheses.