Influence of the sensitivity to reward and punishment on aggressive behaviour.

Abstract

Title: Influence of the sensitivity to reward and punishment on aggressive behaviour.

Alberto Megías-Robles, Raquel Gómez-Leal, María T. Sánchez-López, and Pablo Fernández-Berrocal Department of Basic Psychology, University of Málaga, Spain.

Sensitivity to reward and punishment guide many of our daily behaviours. For example, it is widely accepted that high levels of sensitivity to reward are associated with higher levels of aggressive behaviour. However, results for sensitivity to punishment are not so clear, both positive and negative relationships have been shown in previous literature. The main objective of this research was to clarify these discrepancies, exploring the relationship between sensitivity to punishment and aggressive behaviour through the study of different types of aggression. Four hundred and sixty-five participants were assessed for levels of anger, hostility, physical aggression, and verbal aggression (by Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire), and for levels of sensitivity to punishment and reward (by SPSRQ–20). The results revealed a significant positive correlation between general aggression and both sensitivity to punishment and reward. Interestingly, we observed that the relationship between aggression and sensitivity to punishment depended on the type of aggression studied. Levels of aggression were increased with sensitivity to punishment only for hostility and anger, but not for physical and verbal aggression. This study provides new information to better understand the risk factors related to aggressive behavior. In terms of applicability, our results can help to improve the current aggression prevention programs by working on reducing the levels of sensitivity to reward and punishment.