The Facets of Hostile Attributional Bias: The Importance of Aggression Subtypes and Provocateur Motivation

• Main Author: Kunimatsu, Melissa
• Format: Others
• Published: ScholarWorks@UNO 2010
• Subjects: hostile attributional bias; aggression; measurement; provocateur motivation
• Online Access: http://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/1286; http://scholarworks.uno.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2269&context=td

The current study examined the association of hostile attributional bias (HAB) with the functions (proactive and reactive) and subtypes (reactive relational and reactive overt) of aggression as well as with perceived provocateur motivation (proactive or reactive) in a high school sample (mean age = 16.51; 50% male; 31% Caucasian). Revisions to a measure of HAB were made both in administration (adding animations/narration) and content (adding perceived provocateur motivation questions). Results indicated that the animation/narration measure showed comparable internal consistency reliability to the written and displayed an increased ability to predict total aggression. However, a unique relationship between HAB and reactive aggression was not found, nor was HAB for specific provocation scenarios (i.e., relational or overt) uniquely associated with the reactive subtypes of aggression. Proactive motives, when controlling for reactive ones, were correlated with HAB, anger to provocation, and aggression. The opposite was not found. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed.