Physiological underarousal as a mechanism of aggressive behavior in university athletes with a history of concussion

Abstract

Introduction: Research has indicated that athletes who engage in high-risk athletic activities, such as football and hockey, have riskier personalities than their low-risk and nonathlete counterparts (Ahmadi et al., 2011, Procedia Soc Behav Sci, 30 and 247–251; Zuckerman, 1983, Biological bases of sensation seeking, impulsivity, and anxiety, Lawrence Erlbaum Assoc Inc.). For instance, increased sensation-seeking and aggression are common in high-risk athletes, rendering these individuals more likely to sustain a subsequent injury, such as concussion. Elevated levels of certain personality traits, including impulsivity and aggression, have also been observed after concussion (Goswami et al., 2016, Brain Struct Funct, 221 and 1911–1925). The purpose of this study therefore was to determine whether aggressive behavior in university athletes may be accounted for, in part, by a history of concussion, rather than exclusively athletic status. Methods: Using a quasi-experimental design, 66 university students (n = 18 nonathletes, n = 24 low-risk athletes, n = 24 high-risk athletes) with (n = 27) and without a history of concussion (n = 39) completed the Buss & Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ; Buss & Perry, J Pers Soc Psychol, 63 and 452) and provided electrodermal activation (EDA) as an index of physiological arousal. Results: It was found that decreased physiological arousal among students with a history of concussion was associated with greater endorsement of physical aggression. Moreover, athletic status did not account for this pattern of aggression, as athletes and nonathletes did not differ in terms of self-reported aggressive tendencies. Conclusions: Physiological compromise after concussive injury may act as an independent mechanism of aggressive behavior in athletes beyond factors, such as athletic status.