Hopelessness And Aggression: Exploring The Role Of Perceived Oppression, Abandonment, And Personal Limitations

In this study, the relationship between three different forms of hopelessness (i.e. forsakenness, oppression, and limitedness) and their potential role in fostering aggressive tendencies will be explored. Both explicit (conscious) and implicit (unconscious) hopelessness and aggressive thoughts are being studied. It is hypothesized that undergraduate college participants who report higher levels of oppression or forsakenness will score higher in levels of aggression as compared to those harboring feelings of limitedness (self-perceived deficits). Stronger associations are expected at the implicit level between hopelessness and aggressiveness. Explicit hopelessness and aggressive thoughts will be assessed via standard questionnaires whereas implicit levels of these constructs will be measured with picture-story exercises and an implicit association test. If the study hypotheses are confirmed, the findings will counter media portrayals linking conditions of helplessness with violence and instead focus discussions on the role of perceived disruptions in attachment.

Anthony Scioli Karen Couture and Donna Viveiros

Keene State College

Margaret Grayson

2015-04-11

http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12088/7619

en_US

Psychology

Presentation

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/