RT Article
T1 The Interplay Between Status and Affection Needs: Testing the Imbalanced Needs Theory of Aggression in Adulthood
JF Journal of interpersonal violence
VO 38
IS 1/2
SP 772
OP 795
A1 Sijtsema, Jelle J.
A2 Lindenberg, Siegwart 1941-
LA English
YR 2023
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1830284576
AB Status and affection are both goals related to social needs. The imbalanced needs theory of aggression proposes that although aggression can be used to realize status, this strategy is detrimental for realizing affection in the same social context. Thus, to the degree that the social circles overlap in which status and affection needs are realized, it becomes more costly (in terms of affection) to achieve status via aggression. This theory was tested for different forms of aggression, in different contexts, in a sample of adults from the general population (N = 253, M age = 29.95, SD = 2.60, 78% female). Participants reported on social needs with the Interpersonal Goals Inventory and reported on general measures of physical and social aggression, as well as rule breaking, and aggression at the workplace and in intimate partner relationships. As hypothesized, status needs were associated with physical aggression when affection needs were weak. This interaction, though to a lesser degree, also extended to social forms of aggression and rule breaking. At the workplace, aggression was only related to weak affection needs, whereas aggression in intimate partner relationships was, as expected, unrelated to both social needs. Together, these findings support the results of an earlier test of the imbalanced needs theory of aggression in adolescence, and encourage more research into the link between aggression and the satisfaction of social needs.
K1 Affection
K1 Status
K1 Development
K1 Aggression
K1 social goals
DO 10.1177/08862605221084741