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The Mediating Role of Executive Functioning in the Relation Between Difficult Temperament and Physical Aggression

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The present investigation tested the hypothesis that executive functioning (EF) would mediate the relation between difficult temperament (DT) and aggressive behavior. This model was tested in 310 adult men and women. DT was measured using the Dimensions of Temperament Scale—Revised, EF was measured using 7 well-established neuropsychological tests, and aggression was assessed using the Buss–Perry Aggression Questionnaire. EF successfully mediated the DT–aggression relation for men, however, the model did not hold for women. Results are discussed with regard to how they influence current models of aggressive behavior as well as their implications for future violence prevention efforts.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENT

This research was supported by grant 1R29-AA-11691 from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

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  1. Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA

    Peter R. Giancola

  2. Department of Psychiatry, University of Dartmouth Medical School, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA

    Robert M. Roth

  3. Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

    Dominic J. Parrott

  4. Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Kastle Hall, Lexington, Kentucky, 40506-0044, USA

    Peter R. Giancola

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Giancola, P.R., Roth, R.M. & Parrott, D.J. The Mediating Role of Executive Functioning in the Relation Between Difficult Temperament and Physical Aggression. J Psychopathol Behav Assess 28, 211–221 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10862-005-9015-4

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