Recent nationally reported incidents of violence (Columbine, Atlanta) have suggested that negative emotional states arising from environmental stressors (e.g., peer rejection, financial difficulties) can prompt some individuals to act out violently against others not responsible for their distress. Self-report and experimental research has confirmed a general emotional priming of aggression (Berkowitz, 1990; Geen, 1990; Moyer, 1976; Rotton, 1979; Bell & Baron, 1976). Other research supports a relationship between negative emotional traits and reactive forms of aggressive behavior (Caprara et al., 1983; Netter, et al., 1998). Emphasis should be placed on examining cognitive-emotional interactions as mechanisms underlying risk for chronic aggression (Berkowitz, 1994). Preliminary evidence suggests that heightened aggression in stress-reactive individuals may result from the experience of prolonged periods of negative emotions (Verona, Patrick, & Lang, 2002) and the tendency to ruminate or experience recurrent negative thinking about past events (Caprara, et al., 1987; Rusting & Nolen-Hoeksema, 1998). The current project will examine the interacting impact of prolonged emotional and cognitive experiences on laboratory aggressive behavior (via a Buss paradigm) among individuals exhibiting varying levels of negative emotional traits. Simultaneous recording of on-going negative emotional state (indexed via acoustic startle reactivity), autonomic nervous system activity, and aggressive responses will occur during experimental task blocks including a high stress or low stress condition. Participants' autonomic responses will also be recorded during a post-task """"""""recovery"""""""" period, and subsequently, aggressive responses will be gauged during a post-recovery final block. Self-report measures of rumination will also be administered. It is expected that highly stress-reactive persons will experience prolonged (tonic) negative emotional arousal when exposed to an on-going stressor, as well as for a period of time after the end of the stressor. It is hypothesized that the tendency to """"""""hold on"""""""" to negative emotions and thoughts will be directly related to participants' concurrent (during experimental blocks) and subsequent (during the post-recovery block) aggressive responses toward a confederate.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Small Research Grants (R03)
Project #
7R03MH066868-02
Application #
6796799
Study Section
Biobehavioral and Behavioral Processes 3 (BBBP)
Program Officer
Kozak, Michael J
Project Start
2003-09-01
Project End
2006-07-31
Budget Start
2004-08-01
Budget End
2006-07-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2004
Total Cost
$72,695
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Department
Psychology
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
041544081
City
Champaign
State
IL
Country
United States
Zip Code
61820
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Verona, Edelyn; Sullivan, Elizabeth A (2008) Emotional catharsis and aggression revisited: heart rate reduction following aggressive responding. Emotion 8:331-40
Verona, Edelyn; Kilmer, Ashley (2007) Stress exposure and affective modulation of aggressive behavior in men and women. J Abnorm Psychol 116:410-21
Verona, Edelyn; Reed 2nd, Americus; Curtin, John J et al. (2007) Gender differences in emotional and overt/covert aggressive responses to stress. Aggress Behav 33:261-71
Verona, Edelyn; Joiner, Thomas E; Johnson, Frank et al. (2006) Gender specific gene-environment interactions on laboratory-assessed aggression. Biol Psychol 71:33-41
Verona, Edelyn; Curtin, John J (2006) Gender differences in the negative affective priming of aggressive behavior. Emotion 6:115-24
Verona, Edelyn; Sachs-Ericsson, Natalie (2005) The intergenerational transmission of externalizing behaviors in adult participants: the mediating role of childhood abuse. J Consult Clin Psychol 73:1135-45