Sensation seeking and impulsivity as predictors of aggression in adolescents

Adolescence is a stage in which impulsivity and sensation seeking are presented as two factors that come together with a wide range of changes inherent to adolescent development. Impulsivity and sensation seeking have often been linked to risky behavior in adolescents, especially related to aggressiveness. With this paper is to analyze the predictive value of variables related to sensation seeking and impulsiveness, in relation to the adoption of different forms of aggression (physical aggression, verbal aggression, anger and hostility) in adolescents. To do this, a sample of 822 high school students were selected, and the Sensation Seeking Scale, the State Impulsivity Scale (EIE) and Aggression Questionnaire (AQ), were applied. The results obtained show the existence of positive correlations between factors of sensation seeking and impulsivity, regarding the modalities of aggression analyzed. On the other hand, multiple regression analysis shows the predictive value of factors sensation seeking and impulsiveness, for the different manifestations of aggressive behavior. More specifically, the presence of components of impulsivity in the explanatory models of physical and verbal aggression, and attentional factor, as the best predictor of anger and hostility.