Exploring the relationship between aggression, impulsivity, and emotional regulation among young adults

Abstract

The present study focused on the correlation between emotion regulation, impulsivity and aggression in young adults and the ability of emotion regulation to predict impulsive and aggressive behaviours. Some previous studies indicated that deficits in emotional regulation and increased impulsivity could be related to aggressive behaviors, but studies in various groups and cultures have yielded mixed results. The type of research design used was quantitative, cross sectional and correlational. A standardised self-report questionnaire was administered to 200 young people, including the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ), Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) and Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ). Results showed that there was no significant correlation between emotion regulation and the impulsivity (r = .049, p > .05) and aggression scale scores (r = –.081, p > .05). Moreover, the prediction of impulsivity or aggression was not significant for emotion regulation. On the other hand, impulsivity positively correlated significantly with aggression (r = .187, p < .01), and was a significant predictor of aggressive behaviour. This indicates that impulsivity is more important to aggression among young adults than just emotion regulation. The study adds to the literature by raising the awareness of the role of impulsive tendencies in aggressive behaviours, and suggests that interventions that aim to determine aggressive behaviours should focus on strengthening self-control, Behavioral regulation and decision-making. Future studies should examine other psychological, social and environmental factors which might affect aggressiveness and impulsiveness in different groups of people.