Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-vdxz6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T08:50:20.009Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Incremental Prediction and Moderating Role of the Perceived Emotional Intelligence over Aggressive Behavior

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 April 2014

María Angeles Peláez-Fernández ,
Natalio Extremera  and
Pablo Fernández-Berrocal
María Angeles Peláez-Fernández*
Affiliation:
Universidad de Málaga (Spain)
Natalio Extremera
Affiliation:
Universidad de Málaga (Spain)
Pablo Fernández-Berrocal
Affiliation:
Universidad de Málaga (Spain)
*
*Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to María Angeles Peláez-Fernández. Dpto. Psicología Social, Antropología Social, Trabajo Social y Servicios Sociales. Facultad de Psicología. Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Teatinos. 29071. Málaga (Spain). Phone: + 34–952133243. Fax: +34–952131100. Email: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The aim of this research was to explore the influence of Perceived Emotional Intelligence (PEI) on aggression dimensions (Physical Aggression, Verbal Aggression, Hostility, and Anger) above and beyond the effects of gender, age, and personality traits (Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Neuroticism, and Openness to Experience), as well as the moderating role of PEI on the relationship between personality and aggressive behavior, among young adults. The Trait Meta-Mood Scale, the Big-Five Inventory, and the Aggression Questionnaire were administered to a 313 Spanish community sample, comprised of both males (39.0%) and females (61.0%), ranging from 14 to 69 years old (X = 24.74; SD = 9.27). Controlling the effects of age, gender, and personality, PEI dimensions (Attention, Clarity and Repair) accounted for 3% of the variance (p < .05) in Verbal Aggression and Hostility. Interaction analysis showed that all PEI subscales moderated the relationship between four out of the Big-Five personality dimensions (Extraversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism, and Openness to Experience) and the aggression dimensions. Particularly, the interaction between Attention and Extraversion and between Clarity and Neuroticism were significant predictors of Total Aggression (b = .67, t(313) = 2.35, p < .05; b = –.71, t(313) = –2.50, p < .05). The results show evidence of the predictive and incremental validity of PEI dimensions on aggressive behavior among young adults and of the moderating role of PEI on the personality-aggression relationship.

Keywords

Perceived emotional intelligenceaggressionTMMSpersonality
Type
Research Article
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 17 , 2014 , E15
Copyright
Copyright © Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos de Madrid 2014 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Andreu, J. M., Peña, M. E., & Graña, J. L. (2002). Adaptación psicométrica de la versión española del Cuestionario de Agresión [Psychometric adaptation of the Spanish version of the aggression questionnaire]. Psicothema, 14, 476–482.Google Scholar
Benet-Martinez, V., & John, O. P. (1998). Los cinco grandes across cultures and ethnic groups: Multi-trait multi-method analyses of the Big Five in Spanish and English [The Big Five across cultures and ethnic groups: Multi-trait multi-method analyses of the Big Five in Spanish and English]. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 75, 729–750.Google Scholar
Bettencourt, B. A., Talley, A., Benjamin, A. J., & Valentine, J. (2006). Personality and aggressive behavior under provoking and neutral conditions: A meta-analytic review. Psychological Bulletin, 132, 751–777. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.132.5.751 Google Scholar
Björkqvist, K., Osterman, K., & Kaukiainen, A. (1992). The development of direct and indirect aggressive strategies in males and females. In Bjorkqvist, K., & Niemela, P. (Eds.), Of mice and women: Aspects of female aggression (pp. 51–64). San Diego, CA: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Brackett, M. A., Mayer, J. D., & Warner, R. M. (2004). Emotional intelligence and its relation with everyday behavior. Personality and Individual Differences, 36, 1387–1402. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0191-8869(03)00236-8 Google Scholar
Buss, A. H., & Perry, M. P. (1992). The aggression questionnaire. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 63, 452–459. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.63.3.452 Google Scholar
Cohn, L. D. (1991). Sex differences in the course of personality development: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 109, 252–266. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037//0033-2909.109.2.252 Google Scholar
Crick, N. R., & Grotpeter, J. K. (1995). Relational aggression, gender, and social-psychological adjustment. Child Development, 66, 710–722. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.1995.tb00900.x Google Scholar
Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis of school-based universal interventions. Child Development, 82, 405–432. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2010.01564.x Google Scholar
Extremera, N., & Fernández-Berrocal, P. (2006). Emotional intelligence as predictor of mental, social, and physical health in university students. The Spanish Journal of Psychology, 9, 45–51.Google Scholar
Extremera, N., Salguero, J. M., & Fernández-Berrocal, P. (2011). Trait meta-mood and subjective happiness: A 7-week prospective study. Journal of Happiness Studies, 12, 509–517. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10902-010-9233-7 Google Scholar
Fernández-Berrocal, P., Alcaide, R., Extremera, N., & Pizarro, D. (2006). The role of emotional intelligence in anxiety and depression among adolescents. Individual Differences Research, 4, 16–27.Google Scholar
Fernández-Berrocal, P., & Extremera, N. (2008). A review of trait meta-mood research. International Journal of Psychology Research, 2, 39–67.Google Scholar
Fernández-Berrocal, P., Extremera, N., & Ramos, N. (2004). Validity and reliability of the Spanish modified version of the Trait Meta-Mood Scale. Psychological Reports, 94, 751–755.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gilboa-Schechtman, E., Avnon, L., Zubery, E., & Jeczmien, P. (2006). Emotional processing in eating disorders: specific impairment or general distress related deficiency? Depression and Anxiety, 23, 331–339. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/da.20163 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hayes, A. F. (2012). PROCESS: A versatile computational tool for observed variable mediation, moderation, and conditional process modeling. New York, NY: Guilford Press. Retrieved from http://www.afhayes.com/public/process2012.pdf Google Scholar
Huey, S. J., & Weisz, J. R. (1997). Ego control, ego resiliency, and the five-factor model as predictors of behavioral and emotional problems in clinic-referred children and adolescents. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 106, 404–415. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037//0021-843X.106.3.404 Google Scholar
Hunsley, J., & Meyer, G. J. (2003). The incremental validity of psychological testing and assessment: Conceptual, methodological, and statistical issues. Psychological Assessment, 15, 446–455. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/1040-3590.15.4.446 Google Scholar
Hyde, J. S. (1984). How large are gender differences in aggression? A developmental meta-analysis. Developmental Psychology, 20, 722–736. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037//0012-1649.20.4.722 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kämpfe, N., & Mitte, K. (2010). Tell me who you are, and I will tell you how you feel? European Journal of Personality, 24, 291–308.http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/per.743 Google Scholar
Keefer, K. V., Parker, J. D. A., & Saklofske, D. H. (2009). Emotional intelligence and clinical disorders. In Parker, J. D. A., Saklofske, D. H., & Stough, C. (Eds.), Assessing emotional intelligence: Theory, research, and applications (pp 219–237). New York, NY: Springer.Google Scholar
Klimstra, T. A., Akse, J., Hale, W., Raaijmakers, Q. A., & Meeus, W. (2010). Longitudinal associations between personality traits and problem behavior symptoms in adolescence. Journal of Research and Personality, 44, 273–284. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2010.02.004 Google Scholar
Knight, G. P., Fabes, R. A., & Higgins, D. A. (1996). Concerns about drawing causal inferences from meta-analysis: An example in the study of gender differences in aggression. Psychological Bulletin, 119, 410–421. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037//0033-2909.119.3.410 Google Scholar
Kroner, D. G., & Forth, A. E. (1995). The Toronto Alexithymia Scale with incarcerated offenders. Personality and Individual Differences, 19, 625–634. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0191-8869(95)00116-N Google Scholar
Krystal, H. (1979). Alexithymia and psychotherapy. American Journal of Psychotherapy, 33, 17–31.Google Scholar
Lundh, L-G., & Simonsson-Sarnecki, M. (2001). Alexithymia, emotion and somatic complaints. Journal of Personality, 69, 483–510. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1467-6494.00153 Google Scholar
Leible, T. L., & Snell, W. E. Jr. (2004). Borderline personality disorders and aspects of Emotional Intelligence. Personality and Individual Differences, 37, 393–404. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2003.09.011 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Maccoby, E. E., & Jacklin, C. N. (1980). Sex differences in aggression: A rejoinder and reprise. Child Development, 51, 964–980. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/1129535 Google Scholar
Mansfield, A. K., Addis, M. E., Cordova, J. V., & Dowd, L. (2009). Emotional skillfulness as a key mediator of aggression. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment and Trauma, 18, 221–247. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10926770902809811 Google Scholar
Markon, K. E., Krueger, R. F., & Watson, D. (2005). Delineating the structure of normal and abnormal personality: An integrative hierarchical approach. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 88, 139–157. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.88.1.139 Google Scholar
Mayer, J. D., Perkins, D. M., Caruso, D. R, & Salovey, P. (2001a). Emotional Intelligence and giftedness. Roeper Review, 23, 131–137. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02783190109554084 Google Scholar
Mayer, J. D., & Salovey, P. (1997). What is emotional intelligence? In Salovey, P., & Sluyter, D. (Eds.), Emotional development and emotional intelligence: Implications for educators (pp 3–31). New York, NY: Basic Books.Google Scholar
Mayer, J. D., Salovey, P., & Caruso, D. (2000). Models of emotional intelligence. In Sternberg, R. J. (Ed.), Handbook of intelligence (2 nd Ed., pp. 396–420). New York, NY: Cambridge.Google Scholar
Mayer, J. D., Salovey, P., & Caruso, D. (2001b). Technical manual for the MSCEIT V. 2.0. Toronto, Canada: MHS Publishers.Google Scholar
McGirr, A., Renaud, J., Bureau, A., Seguin, M., Lesage, A., & Turecki, G. (2008). Impulsive-aggressive behaviors and completed suicide across the life cycle: A predisposition for younger age of suicide. Psychological Medicine 38, 407–417. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0033291707001419 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McGue, M., Bacon, S., & Lykken, D. T. (1993). Personality stability and change in early adulthood: A behavioral genetic analysis. Developmental Psychology, 29, 96–109. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037//0012-1649.29.1.96 Google Scholar
Moriarty, N., Stough, C., Tidmarsh, P., Eger, D., & Dennison, S. (2001). Deficits in emotional intelligence underlying adolescent sex offending. Journal of Adolescence, 24, 743–751. http://dx.doi.org/10.1006/jado.2001.0441 Google Scholar
Nolen-Hoeksema, S., Wisco, B. E., & Lyubomisrsky, S. (2008). Rethinking rumination. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 3, 400–424. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-6924.2008.00088.x Google Scholar
Ortega, R. (2000). Educar la convivencia para prevenir la violencia [Teaching coexistence to prevent violence]. Madrid, Spain: Antonio Machado Libros.Google Scholar
Pulido-Valero, R., Martín-Seoane, G., & Lucas-Molina, B. (2011). Risk profiles and peer violence in the context of school and leisure time. The Spanish Journal of Psychology, 14, 701–711. http://dx.doi.org/10.5209/revSJOP.2011.v14.n2.18 Google Scholar
Rey, L., Extremera, N., & Durán, M. A. (2012). Core self-evaluations, meta-mood experience, and happiness: Tests of direct and moderating effects. Personality and Individual Differences, 53, 207–212. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2012.03.009 Google Scholar
Rusting, C. L., & Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (1998). Regulating responses to anger: Effects of rumination and distraction on angry mood. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74, 790–803. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.74.3.790 Google Scholar
Salovey, P., & Mayer, J. D. (1990). Emotional intelligence. Imagination Cognition and Personality, 9, 185–211. http://dx.doi.org/10.2190/DUGG-P24E-52WK-6CDG Google Scholar
Salovey, P., Mayer, J. D., Goldman, S. L., Turvey, C., & Palfai, T. P. (1995). Emotional attention, clarity, and repair: Exploring emotional intelligence using the Trait Meta-Mood Scale. In Pennebaker, J. R. (Ed.), Emotion, disclosure, & health (pp 125–154). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.Google Scholar
Salovey, P., Stroud, L. R., Woolery, A., & Epel, E. S. (2002). Perceived emotional intelligence, stress reactivity, and symptom reports: Further explorations using the Trait Meta-Mood Scale. Psychology & Health, 17, 611–627. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08870440290025812 Google Scholar
Scheithauer, H., Haag, N., Mahlke, J., & Ittel, A. (2008). Gender and age differences in the development of relational/indirect aggression: First results of a meta-analysis. European Journal of Developmental Science, 2, 176–189.Google Scholar
Schober, G., Bjarkqvist, K., & Somppi, S. (2009). Identifying a new subcategory of aggression: Sex differences in direct non-verbal aggression. Journal of Aggression, Conflict and Peace Research, 1, 58–70. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/17596599200900018 Google Scholar
Shulman, T. E., & Hemenover, S. H. (2006). Is dispositional emotional intelligence synonymous with personality? Self and Identity 5, 147–171. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15298860600586206 Google Scholar
Siu, A. F. Y. (2009). Trait emotional intelligence and its relationships with problem behavior in Hong Kong adolescent. Personality and Individual Differences, 47, 553–557. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2009.05.004 Google Scholar
Smits, D. J. M., & Boeck, P. D. (2006). From BIS/BAS to the Big Five. European Journal of Personality, 20, 255–270. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/per.583 Google Scholar
Tackett, J. L., Waldman, I., & Lahey, B. B. (2009). Etiology and measurement of relational aggression: A multi-informant behavioral disinhibition. American Journal of Medical Genetics Part B: Neuropsychiatric Genetics 96, 684–695.Google Scholar
Van Leeuwen, K. G., Mervielde, I., Braet, C., & Bosmans, G. (2004). Child personality and parental behavior as moderators of problem behavior: Variable- and person-centered approaches. Developmental Psychology 40, 1028–1046. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.40.6.1028 Google Scholar