THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PERSPECTIVE-TAKING AND NONAGGRESSIVE RESPONDING IN THE FACE OF AN ATTACK

Perspective-taking functions as an inhibitor of interpersonal aggressi on and as a facilitator of prosocial behavior. The present study exami ned the extent to which perspective-taking enhances nonaggressive resp onses in a situation in which people typically make aggressive respons es. It also examined the relationship between perspective-taking and r esponse to interpersonal context. Subjects participated in a reaction- time task in which they could respond either aggressively or nonaggres sively in two different interpersonal contexts (i.e., the target eithe r increased or decreased provocation during the interaction). As predi cted, perspective-taking was related to the inhibition of aggressive r esponding and the facilitation of nonaggressive responding. In general , perspective-taking was associated with less aggression, including re latively more positive and fewer negative responses. This was especial ly the case in the interpersonal context in which the target had incre ased provocation across the trials of the task.