Intellectual ability and aggressive behavior in nonclinical-nonforensic males

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to test the relationship between IQ and physical aggression in a nonclinical-nonforensic male sample in a laboratory setting. Thirty males completed an abbreviated version of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised. Aggression was measured using a modified version of the Taylor reaction-time (RT) aggression paradigm in which subjects competed on a RT task and both received and delivered shocks to a fictitious opponent in provoking and nonprovoking conditions. Provocation conditions (High and Low) were defined by the intensity of shocks the subjects received. Results demonstrated strong inverse correlations between IQ and aggressive behavior under both High and Low Provocation conditions. © 1994 Plenum Publishing Corporation.