An aggression machine: IV. Concurrent and predictive validity over ten years

The subjects (60 boys) were drawn from the sample of a longitudinal study of social development to represent extremely aggressive, anxious, constructive, and submissive patterns of behaviour at the age of 8. A year later they were tested with an aggression machine (PAM). This allows variation of the intensity of both aggressive attack and defence in different stimulus conditions. The intensity of defensive aggression towards different attackers as well as the response style variables, latency, duration, and number of responses were correlated with observed and self-reported data at the ages of 8, 9, 14 and 19. The results showed that the intensity of aggression toward a same-sex peer had the highest validity. Opposite sex and authority figures as attackers called up other associations and motives, such as conflicts with the mother and anxiety. From the response style variables the highest validity was obtained for reaction time. This correlated with constructive behaviour.