This study will investigate the counter impulse hypothesis. According to the counter-impulse hypothesis, avoidance motivation counters aggressive impulses. Consequently, this regulatory impact should be especially effective when people*s aggressive…
ID
Source
Brief title
Condition
- Personality disorders and disturbances in behaviour
- Gender related factors
Synonym
Research involving
Sponsors and support
Intervention
Outcome measures
Primary outcome
Anger will be induced using a validated procedure (Keltner, Ellsworth, &
Edwards, 1993; Strack, Schwartz, & Gscheidinger, 1985). Aggression and feelings
of anger will be measured with an aggression task of which the construct
validity is well established (DeWall et al., 2013; Slotter et al., 2012). It
has been used for decades as a reliable and valid measure of laboratory
aggression.
Secondary outcome
Individual differences in trait anger (Trait Anger Scale, TAS; Spielberger,
1999) and in behavioral activation and behavioral inhibition (Behavioral
Inhibition Scale/ Behaviral Activation Scale, BIS/BAS; Carver & White, 1994)
will be conducted as well. To see whether effects of motivation and testosteron
on aggression depends on individual differences.
Background summary
Understanding the causes of human aggression is among the most urgent issues in
modern behavioral science. Aggression takes a tremendous toll on society, by
causing widespread agony and suffering, and through the costs of protecting,
treating, and compensating victims. It is therefore vital to learn how people
may withhold their aggressive impulses.
We propose the Aggressive Impulse Management (AIM) model, which suggests that
reducing approach motivation may take away the impulse to aggress. The
interventions suggested by the AIM model require little effort or cognitive
skills, and thus these interventions may reduce aggression when traditional
cognitive strategies for anger management are ineffective. To test the validity
of the AIM model, we propose an experiment on the role of approach/avoidance
motives and levels of testosterone in anger management. We hypothesize that
compared to approach motivation, avoidance motivation can attenuate aggression
and anger especially when testosterone levels are high.
Study objective
This study will investigate the counter impulse hypothesis. According to the
counter-impulse hypothesis, avoidance motivation counters aggressive impulses.
Consequently, this regulatory impact should be especially effective when
people*s aggressive impulses are high, for example when testosterone levels are
high.
Study design
The experiment uses a 2 (approach vs. avoidance) X 2 (testosterone vs. placebo)
between subjects design.
Intervention
Participants will be administered testosterone/placebo.
Study burden and risks
No health risks are related to administrating testosterone. The emotion
induction we use is mild and the debriefings thoroughly, so it is unlikely that
participants will experience negative effects. The anger inducing provocation
is used in various previous experiments, also by our own lab, and in general
participants find the type of experiments we do interesting and fun to do.
This research is part of a larger project including 10 experiments that
systematically test the Aggressive Impulse Management model. This present
proposed study is the first to investigate how motivational tendencies interact
with testosterone on anger and aggression. The study can have important
implications for further development of instruments to reduce anger and
aggression and benefit anger management trainings.
van der Boechorststraat 1
Amsterdam 1081 BT
NL
van der Boechorststraat 1
Amsterdam 1081 BT
NL
Listed location countries
Age
Inclusion criteria
We will control for influences of hormonal change due to menstrual cycle by only including women who use single-phase contraceptives, and testing them during the 3-week period they are on these contraceptives and not during menstruation. In this time window, menstrual-cycle influences are virtually absent.
In order to be eligible to participate in this study, a subject must also meet all of the following criteria:
- Age 18-65.
- Fluent in Dutch
Exclusion criteria
Subjects will be screened to exclude psychiatric, metabolic, and neurological conditions participated in the experiment. Volunteers who use medication or report noxious health behaviors (drug abuse including excessive alcohol, smoking, and caffeine, and abnormal sleeping habits, e.g., too little sleep), chronic health problems, or psychopathology are excluded from the study. Additionally, participants are screened for depression and anxiety using the 13-item Beck Depression Inventory (Bouman, Luteijn, Abersnagel, & van der Ploeg, 1985) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (Van der Ploeg, Defares, & Spielberger, 1980). Also, to control for extraneous variables, participants will abstain from caffeine containing drinks or food, smoking, and minimize physical exercise on the day of the study.
Design
Recruitment
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In other registers
| Register | ID |
|---|---|
| EudraCT | EUCTR2014-001194-14-NL |
| CCMO | NL47938.029.14 |