Aggression as a function of the intensity and pattern of attack

Forty Ss competed with an opponent in a reaction time task to avoid receiving shock. The opponent provided either consistently high intensity attack, increasing, decreasing, or consistently low attack. The S's shock settings for the opponent on each trial and ratings of the opponent after the task served as dependent measures. High intensity attack resulted in high intensity counterattack and negative ratings of the opponent. Low intensity attack resulted in low intensity counterattack and relatively positive ratings for the opponent. Decreasing attack resulted in decreasing counterattack and positive ratings of the opponent. Increasing attack resulted in increasing counterattack and comparatively high aggression ratings of the opponent.