A number of individual differences are known to increase the likelihood of aggression, including neuroticism, trait anger, narcissism, and impulsivity. High neuroticism has been identified as a particularly important risk factor in several studies (Bettencourt et al., 2006; Kokkinos et al., 2020). Neuroticism is a personality trait associated with negative emotionality and is characterized by emotional susceptibility, anxiety, and escapism (Liu et al., 2018). According to the General Aggression Model (GAM; Anderson & Bushman, 2002), certain personality traits such as neuroticism are important contributors to aggressive behavior. Indeed, research has shown that higher neuroticism increases the likelihood of aggressive behavior (Llorca et al., 2016) and significantly predicts an individual's level of social aggression (Bettencourt et al., 2006). This may be because highly neurotic individuals tend to be more emotional and impulsive, which can lead to socially aggressive behaviors. That said, evidence in this area is limited in terms of age and geographic location. In the present study we seek to expand the available evidence base using a sample of college students in China. It is hypothesized that a positive correlation exists between neuroticism and social aggression.
A mediating role of depression
While there is theoretical reasoning supported by research evidence as to why neuroticism predicts social aggression, the underlying psychological mechanisms of this relationship are not yet clear. To elucidate a potential mediating mechanism, we here propose a model by which neuroticism predicts social aggression via depressive symptoms. The term depression can refer to emotional problems ranging from mild negative emotions to severe mood disorders, though depression is generally characterized by negative emotions such as sadness and distress accompanied by behavioral symptoms such as social withdrawal and inattention (Cassano & Fava, 2002). Depression may play a mediating role in the association between neuroticism and social aggression, as the GAM (Anderson & Bushman, 2002) states that individual factors such as traits and attitudes and situational factors such as frustration can influence aggression via their impact on internal states such as anger, aggressive thoughts, and physiological arousal. Research has also shown that personality traits can be directly or indirectly associated with aggression through an individual's emotions (Barford & Smillie, 2016). Big Five personality traits such as neuroticism may be associated with aggression because they promote or inhibit the development and long-term accessibility of certain emotions and attitudes (Barlett & Anderson, 2012).
It is possible that neuroticism is both directly related to social aggression and indirectly related through its effect on depressed mood. The diathesis-stress model of depression suggests that depression is the result of a combination of individual diathesis factors and stress-inducing events (Walker & Diforio, 1997). Individuals with higher levels of neuroticism are more likely to be depressed. Neuroticism has been shown to significantly predict depression in college students and adolescents, among others (Llorca et al., 2016; Williams et al., 2021). Furthermore, depression increases the probability that an individual will engage in aggressive behavior (Tisak et al., 2021; Yavuzer et al., 2019). Longitudinal investigations have found that depression predicts negative behaviors such as aggression in adolescents up to one year after assessment (Kofler et al., 2011). Depression also predicts relationship aggression and social aggression (Blain-Arcaro & Vaillancourt, 2017; Fite, et al., 2011). In brief, depression may be one mechanism explaining the relationship between neuroticism and social aggression. Thus, our second hypothesis is that depression mediates the relationship between neuroticism and social aggression.
The moderating role of perceived social support
If our proposed mediation effect is accurate, it is also important to consider factors that might moderate such an effect. Perceived social support refers to the degree to which individuals feel recognized, understood, and supported by others (Jin et al., 2020). When individuals feel more supported in interpersonal interactions, they are more inclined to adopt positive coping styles (Shen et al., 2018), whereas when perceived social support is low, negative coping styles such as avoidance become more common (Zhang et al., 2021). The Buffering model of perceived social support frames it as a protective mechanism that buffers the effects of individual factors or stressful situations on physical and mental health outcomes (Cohen & Wills, 1985; Fried & Tiegs, 1993). By regulating the impact of adverse stimuli on physical and mental health, this protective mechanism helps to reduce negative emotions and promote maintenance of physical and mental health. Statistically, social support has been found to moderate the relationship between neuroticism and various aspects of mental health including self-affirmation, depression, and anxiety among college students (Quan et al., 2007). The lower one’s level of social support, the stronger the negative impact of neuroticism on mental health, and vice versa. We predict that an interaction is at play such that neuroticism is more of a risk factor for depression at low levels of perceived social support. We therefore propose our third hypothesis, that perceived social support moderates the association between neuroticism and depression, the first pathway in our proposed mediation model. The relationship between neuroticism and depression will be weaker at high levels of perceived social support and stronger at low levels.
In summary, based on well-supported theoretical perspectives such as the GAM and the Buffering model, the aims of this study are to explore the association between neuroticism and social aggression in college students and to test a possible mediating role of depression and a moderating role of perceived social support on this association.