Toward a reorientation of research on aggression

A number of studies are reported which sustain the importance of individual differences in the study of aggression. Irritability, emotional susceptibility, dissipatio—nrumination, tolerance toward violence, and proneness to guilt feelings provide a better understanding of the various forms of aggression. Prosocial behaviour, emotional instability, and physical and verbal aggression proved to be important indicators to children's more general adjustment. To go beyond the traditional paradigm of research on aggression a structural and interactive—interpersonal analysis of aggression is recommended. Aggression as a unitary phenomenon is called into question. Instead, it is stated that the various facets of aggression find an explanation and acquire meaning within the context of global personality development and functioning.     

May the odds be ever in your favor: The Hunger Games and the fight for a more equal society. (Negative) Media vicarious contact and collective action

Various studies have found that reading books about positive interactions between ingroup and outgroup characters, known as media vicarious contact, can reduce prejudice. Focusing on the fantasy saga of The Hunger Games, we examined the effects of negative vicarious contact on collective action across two studies. Specifically, we tested whether reading about fantasy characters living in a postapocalyptic conflictual society with large social disparities between advantaged and disadvantaged groups leads advantaged group members to display greater willingness to engage in collective action on behalf of the disadvantaged group. Results from Study 1 (correlational survey in the United Kingdom and United States) and Study 2 (experimental intervention in Italy) revealed that reading The Hunger Games is indirectly associated with greater collective action intentions via increased anger toward injustice. In both studies social dominance orientation (SDO) acted as a moderator, but in opposite directions: mediation was significant for low-SDOs in Study 1, and for high-SDOs in Study 2. Results are discussed in relation to the importance of media vicarious contact via book reading for social change, and to the need to identify the contextual conditions allowing to anticipate the specific moderation pattern that is more likely to emerge.     

Individual differences in the study of human aggression

Excessive concern for simplicity has often led us to underestimate the complexity of aggression. Over the years, several scales related to aggression have been identified and validated both on adults and on children. Ultimately, two main higher order dimensions, emotional responsivity and proneness to aggression, repeatedly emerged in a series of second-order factor analysis. These dimensions are rather similar to two of the big five factors of personality: neuroticism/emotinal stability and hostility/agreeableness, respectively. Several studies corroborate the plausibility of a higher level bidimensional conceptualization of aggression that, while preserving the heuristic validity of looking for more specific constructs of aggression, can link the field of aggression to the field of personality. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Repeatability of mae-geri-keage in traditional karate: a three-dimensional analysis with black-belt karateka

In karate, performance also depends on a correct body shape, and the repeatability of standardized movements conditions the effectiveness of techniques. The execution of mae-geri-keage (frontal snap kick) was studied in 13 karateka (1st-5th dan). The 3D trajectories of 13 body landmarks were analyzed by an optoelectronic instrument while each karateka performed 10 repetitions of the movement. For each karateka and repetition, the standard deviations of the spatial coordinates x, y, z for each landmark were computed. A total standard deviation of the single participant was also calculated. Two experienced karateka performed with the best repeatability (smaller standard deviation) while executing the studied kick. Generally, the best repeatability was observed in the horizontal plane. The lower variability was observed in hips and head. Ankle and knee of the dominant limb had the worse. The method could detect athletes particularly gifted for the discipline. Moreover, it could help in the identification of those parts of body that do not repeat the movement with the desired precision.     

The time course of attentional focusing in dyslexic and normally reading children

A cue size procedure was used to evaluate the time course of visuo-spatial attention in dyslexic and normally reading children. When a stimulus target is presented inside a large cue vs a small cue the identification time is slower. In the present study two cue-target delays (100 and 500 ms) were used. Results showed a slower time course of attentional focusing in dyslexics vs normal readers. Indeed, dyslexics exhibited no cue size effect at a shorter cue-target delay (100 ms), while it was present at a longer cue-target delay (500 ms). In contrast, a cue size effect was found at both cue-target delays in normally reading children. These results further support the hypothesis of sluggish automatic focusing of visual attention in dyslexics. This impairment could be a consequence of a general magnocellular deficit demonstrated previously in dyslexics.     

Romantic love and sexual desire in close relationships

Drawing on recent claims in the study of relationships, attachment, and emotion, the authors hypothesized that romantic love serves a commitment-related function and sexual desire a reproduction-related function. Consistent with these claims, in Study 1, brief experiences of romantic love and sexual desire observed in a 3-min interaction between romantic partners were related to distinct feeling states, distinct nonverbal displays, and commitment- and reproductive-related relationship outcomes, respectively. In Study 2, the nonverbal display of romantic love was related to the release of oxytocin. Discussion focuses on the place of romantic love and sexual desire in the literature on emotion.