Mediating Effect of Attributional Biases in the Impulsivity–Aggression Relationship Among Adolescents: Therapeutic Implications

• Published date: 01 October 2020
• DOI: 10.1177/0306624X20912998
• Date: 01 October 2020
• Subject Matter: Articles

https://doi.org/10.1177/0306624X20912998

International Journal of

Offender Therapy and

Comparative Criminology

2020, Vol. 64(13-14) 1443 –1460

© The Author(s) 2020

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DOI: 10.1177/0306624X20912998

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Article

Mediating Effect of

Attributional Biases in the

Impulsivity–Aggression

Relationship Among

Adolescents: Therapeutic

Implications

Parwinder Singh1

Abstract

Aggression is a multidimensional phenomenon, and for its better understanding,

specificity involved in its dynamics must be explored. This article explores the role

of attributional bias as a mediator between impulsivity and aggressive tendencies

among adolescents. The mediating effect of hostile attributional bias (HAB) on the

impulsivity–aggression relationship has not been studied extensively so far, especially

in the Indian context. For testing the hypotheses, 320 participants within the age

range 12 to 15 years (M age = 13.57 years) were selected and administered relevant

standardized questionnaires. Baron and Kenny’s criterion was used for mediation

analysis, demonstrating that HAB partially mediates the association between impulsivity

and aggression. Findings imply that reducing HAB through some reattribution

intervention may be an effective strategy to reduce impulsivity-induced aggression.

Specific guidelines to implement such interventions are suggested in the discussion.

Keywords

aggression, impulsivity, hostile attributional bias, mediation

Aggression, no doubt, has been an adaptive behaviour for our ancestors and was

instrumental in fulfilling their basic needs. Aggressive behaviour was essential to

solve problems relating to survival. It was instrumental for males to gain access to

1Indian Institute of Technology Ropar, Rupnagar, India

Corresponding Author:

Parwinder Singh, Assistant Professor (Psychology), Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian

Institute of Technology Ropar, Rupnagar 140001, Punjab, India.

Email: singh_parwinder@iitrpr.ac.in

912998IJOXXX10.1177/0306624X20912998International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative CriminologySingh

research-article2020

1444 International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology 64(13-14)

shelter, food, and females. For females, it was useful to protect their offspring and

obtain resources. As humans became more social, aggression became less adaptive.

Presently, aggression seems maladaptive and a problem more than a solution.

Aggressive behaviour is of increasing concern worldwide (World Health Organization,

2002). Clusters of aggressive and antisocial behaviour are predictive of long-term

aggressive problems and pose threats to the peace and security of a society (Patterson

et al., 1990). Examples abound, to name two, a shocking incident in Haryana, in which

a 17-year-old student shot his principal to death (“Yamunanagar School Principal,”

2018) or one recent Florida school shooting (“Florida Shooting,” 2018). Such episodes

can shatter the sense of security and trust among students and school authorities.

Prevalence of aggressive and violent behaviour around the world is worthy of the

attention of a social scientist as aggression is one of the significant predictors of social,

psychological, behavioural, and academic problems. It is also a predictor of a broad

spectrum of adult adjustment problems (Coie & Dodge, 1998). A study by Kumari

et al. (2017) studied the cognitive component of aggressive tendencies among Indian

adolescents and found that one third of the adolescents who participated in their study

had beliefs supporting aggression. It is noteworthy that 21% (about 243 million) of the

Indian population comprises adolescents (United Nations Children’s Fund [UNICEF],

2011), forming a significant demographic and economic force. At this crucial stage of

life, having proaggression belief systems is not a good indicator of the prospective

healthy development of a nation. To prevent such developments, we require a thor-

ough understanding of the dynamics associated with aggressive tendencies.

Aggression is a multidimensional phenomenon, and for its better understanding,

specificity involved in the dynamics must be explored. In the present article, we take

one such perspective and explore the role of attributional bias—a unique social infor-

mation processing pattern, as a mediator between impulsivity and aggression among

adolescents.

Aggression

It has long been recognized that changes in typically developing adolescents (e.g.,

changes in physical strength, more involvement with friends) may be associated with

increased aggressive behaviour (UNICEF, 2011) The antecedents of aggressive behav-

iour are multifactorial and respond to the interaction of several factors, which can

modify the expression of normal human behaviour. Human aggression is generally

defined as “any behaviour directed toward another individual that is carried out with

the proximate intent to cause harm. Also, the perpetrator must believe that the behav-

iour will harm the target and that the target is motivated to avoid the behaviour”

(Bushman & Anderson, 2001, p. 274). Anderson and Bushman (2002) defined vio-

lence as “an act of aggression that has, as its goal, extreme harm such as physical

injury or death” (p. 29).

Theoretical perspectives about aggression differ in its nature and causes. Vitiello

and Stoff (1997) theorized two types of aggression, that is, controlled–proactive–

instrumental–predatory (CPIP) aggression and impulsive–reactive–hostile–affective