ABSTRACT
This chapter examines individual differences in adulthood in the tendency to engage in aggressive behaviour. Some people respond with aggression to the slightest provocation that does not seem to bother others at all, and individual differences in aggression in adulthood show a high stability over the life course. Psychological constructs that may explain these differences include trait anger, self-esteem, narcissism, and lack of self-control. Furthermore, gender differences in aggression are discussed in this chapter. Traditionally, it has been assumed that men are more aggressive than women, and this assumption is supported by empirical data, at least for physical aggression. Women’s aggressive behaviour has been largely neglected by researchers in the past, but recent years have seen an increasing interest in female aggression, for example in the form of relational aggression and intimate partner violence. To explain gender differences in aggression, the evolutionary approach attributes gender differences to differential reproductive strategies in men and women, whereas the social role approach emphasises the significance of gender-specific roles and norms to which men and women have to adapt in their social behaviour. Models integrating both views are discussed that move the debate forward.
