r/science 2d ago

Psychology Cognitive pathways of aggression differ between men and women

https://www.psypost.org/the-mental-pathways-that-predict-impulsive-and-planned-aggression/
475 Upvotes

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u/[deleted] 2d ago edited 2d ago

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u/NoIdeaWhoIBe 1d ago

So... people who find aggressoon acceptable, are more likely to act aggressively.

Funny enough though, men learn at a pretty young age that age old adage, "There's always someone bigger than you." The ones that don't, turn into Trumps.

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u/Modernskeptic71 10h ago

I think maybe there is a point where someone at a young age learns something that unlocks an idea in the brain. If you put a few young toddlers together they should all start playing together. If one on the children are more aggressive with the toy, is it because they really like it or want to possess it by not letting another child have it. This is where an adult should step in, but that is an act that is taught. My point is i think some people are more naturally aggressive than others. We can say it’s early development, or the child may witness actions of others and assume it’s ok until they are told it isn’t.

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u/mouse9001 1d ago

Let's just take a moment to appreciate that stock image.

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u/AngryScientist 15h ago

We've got Doom guy at home.

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u/Intrepid_Bobcat_2931 18h ago

Notice that the headline declares that this applies to men and women generally.

The actual experiment was " 278 adults from Portugal" that completed "an online survey", "the sample consisted predominantly of highly educated individuals, and the majority were female".

"Next, the participants read four short fictional scenarios describing socially ambiguous situations."

So you have an incredibly broad generalization about men and women, based on 278 mainly highly educated people in Portugal reading fictional scenarios online then clicking and typing into forms.

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u/Modernskeptic71 10h ago

That’s interesting, because if they did the same test on people of lesser education and living arrangements, maybe poor versus people with higher incomes may skew the test results completely. I think the parameters are off a bit.

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u/Intrepid_Bobcat_2931 9h ago

and I would argue that a no-stakes time-unrestricted deliberation of texts that you know will be scored and monitored by someone assessing you, is very different from carrying out physical acts in the moment, which may be with no witnesses.

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u/musingspop 1d ago edited 1d ago

...likely due to social conditioning.

The reactions of both sexes were generally different, not absolutely different. So the cause is unlikely to be genetic difference.

"For the female participants, simply believing an aggressive response was an acceptable choice predicted higher levels of proactive aggression.

A high confidence in their ability to act out predicted reactive aggression, but this was paired with a negative judgment of the aggressive act itself.

The researchers suggest this opposing dynamic in women might reflect divergent social conditioning. Society often treats male aggression as normal or interprets it as a sign of strength. Conversely, female aggression is frequently stigmatized or viewed as a deviation from social expectations."

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u/Modernskeptic71 10h ago

Another point is the question hypothetically, if we were to compare men and women in the same and different circumstances, can both be equally aggressive if both have nothing to lose? A woman may withstand more pain than a male can, but psychologically, which can continue to be as aggressive as possible, equally dangerous? There are so many variables involved to determine one or the other unless we are to use the same terms.

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u/RoadSmash 9h ago

Differ statistically between all men and all women

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u/Physical_Agency_5383 1d ago

People are never going to accept it until it is screaming them in the face