An aggression machine V. Determinants in reactive aggression revisited

The relations between reactive aggression, situational cues, and emotion re gulation were examined by means of the Pulkkinen Aggression Machine (PAM) t ask. In the PAM, provocation and response were systematically varied under two conditions: the impulsive aggression condition and the controlled aggre ssion condition. In the impulsive condition, no information about the attac ker was provided, while in the controlled condition the attackers were spec ified in terms of sex, age, and physical strength. The task was administere d to 109 children aged 8 to 13 years. Boys (n = 61) and girls (n = 48), as well as subgroups of Adjusted (n = 67) and Maladjusted (n = 26) children we re compared. The results confirmed earlier findings showing that there is a strong relationship between attack and response intensity. However, this r elationship was consistently modified by the effects of situation and perso nality-related variables. This meant that, while for the impulsive conditio n response intensity was closely tied to stimulus intensity, in the control led condition this effect was modulated by the characteristics of the oppon ent: the more equal the opponent the stronger the retaliations displayed. T he Maladjusted children reacted more intensively in the impulsive condition and to minor provocation in the controlled condition than the Adjusted chi ldren. This suggests that the intensity of the elicited aggression in the M aladjusted group was particularly dependent on contextual rather than inter nal control. (C) 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.