Thesis

Reducing antisocial aggression : the process of self-regulation and manipulation of cognitive-behavioural interventions

Creator
Awarding institution
  • University of Strathclyde
Date of award
  • 2013
Thesis identifier
  • T13554
Qualification Level
Qualification Name
Department, School or Faculty
Abstract
  • Aggression has been widely studied as one of the most problematic clinical behaviours. However, intervention progress has been relatively slow, in particular, in relation to reactive aggression. The following study stemmed from Aggression Replacement Training (Goldstein and Glick, 1987), whereby aggression was regulated at different stages of the behaviour generation process in combination with the Point Subtraction Aggression Paradigm (PSAP) (Cherek, Schnapp, Moeller & Dougherty, 1996), a validated measure of reactive aggression. The PSAP is designed to provoke participants, triggering reactive aggression due to pre-programmed point deduction. The PSAP was developed as a measure of aggressive responding in unfair situations and is well validated for this usage, being consistent with selfreport measures of aggression (Golomb, Cortez-Perez, Jaworski, Mednick & Dimsdale, 2007). The present study looks at self-regulation of behaviour and whether intervening after a baseline condition of provocation will allow for improvement in control of aggressive responding. Results indicated that the Anger Intervention was successful in reducing aggressive responding (Button B) on the PSAP for individuals scoring low in aggression in accordance with the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ). A significant interaction between Button, Time and Intervention was also found. In addition, Analysis of variance revealed that the Anger Intervention significantly reduced Anger-Hostility scores in comparison to the Aggression Intervention. It can be suggested that there was an overall improvement from pre-intervention to post-intervention for Anger-Hostility. The following study has great importance for real world settings, placing emphasis on the need for both anger and aggression interventions in order to improve aggressive behaviour. Emphasis is placed on reappraisal and the importance of feedback, based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and the future of restorative justice in a forensic setting as meeting a "confederate", i.e. a victim, improving self-regulation and control, with an individual being significantly less likely to respond in an aggressive manner. Implications, limitations and future considerations are discussed.
Resource Type
DOI
Date Created
  • 2013
Former identifier
  • 1001203

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