The relationship between hostile attribution bias and aggression and the mediating effect of anger rumination

Aggression is one of the most serious social problems worldwide. The cognitive mechanisms of aggression have been frequently studied, and hostile attribution bias has been regarded as an important cognitive factor influencing the formation and development of aggression. However, the longitudinal relationship between hostile attribution and aggression among undergraduate students has not yet been tested, and the psychological mechanism underlying the effect of hostile attribution on aggression has not yet been explored. This study aimed to address these two issues through two studies. The Hostility subscale of the Word Sentence Association Paradigm for Hostility and the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire were administered to 505 undergraduate students twice with an interval of 6 months in Study 1. The cross-lagged analyses demonstrated a reciprocal relationship between hostile attribution bias and aggression. Another 437 participants were recruited for Study 2. The analyses via structural equation modeling support the view that anger rumination plays a mediating role in the relationship between hostile attribution bias and aggression. This study expands our understanding regarding the relationship between hostile attribution bias and aggression and suggests an interaction between aggressive cognition and aggressive behavior. In addition, certain aggressive cognitive factors may predict other aggression related cognitive factors.