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How do friendship, indirect, and direct aggression relate?
Author(s) -
Green Laura R.,
Richardson Deborah R.,
Lago Tania
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
aggressive behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.223
H-Index - 92
eISSN - 1098-2337
pISSN - 0096-140X
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1098-2337(1996)22:2<81::aid-ab1>3.0.co;2-x
Subject(s) - aggression , psychology , friendship , developmental psychology , poison control , injury prevention , human factors and ergonomics , indirect effect , social psychology , medicine , medical emergency , political science , law
Most studies that report males as more aggressive than females have examined only direct aggression. However, recent research has shown that females may be more indirectly aggressive than males. Lagerspetz et al. [1988: Aggressive Behavior 14:403–414] have suggested that this gender difference in indirect aggression may arise because females have more dense networks than males, providing them with more opportunities for using indirect aggression. The present study examined the relationship between network density and aggression by administering self‐report measures of each variable to 148 undergraduates. Males with high‐density networks reported more indirect than direct aggression, and less direct aggression than males with low‐density networks. Use of direct and indirect aggression by females was not related to network density. Explanations consider possible inhibitory and facilitating effects of network density. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.