Trait Theory Of Aggression

Trait theory is one of many approaches that analyse and study human personality. The traits themselves are psychological characteristics that are stable over time and across situations i.e. consistent patterns in the way individuals behave, feel and think. For example, a person identified as having the honesty trait can be assumed to be honest over time (weeks, months and years) as well as across different situations (friends, family, strangers, etc.). Trait theorists’ then use these ‘traits’ to characterize the personality of a person, however, no one person can simple be characterized by one trait – humans are complex beings. The personality trait chosen for discussion in this paper is aggression or aggressiveness (Cervone & Pervin, 2012).

Animals may use aggression to gain and secure territories alongside other important resources including food, water and mating opportunities – therefore some researchers have hypothesised that the trait aggression and the capacity for violence in humans are products of our evolutionary pasts (Buss, 2005). Therefore evolution can explain the need for humans to exhibit aggression as a primal emotion, “Aggressive behaviour has evolved in species in which it increases an individual’s survival or reproduction and this depends on the specific environment, social reproductive and historical circumstances of the species. Humans certainly rank among the most violent species…” (Whipps, 2009). Although humans share these aspects of aggression with animals, there are many differences due to the complexity of humanity itself, factors such as culture, socials situations, human emotions and social situations all play a specific part in the development and use of aggression (Victoroff,

Certain research suggested that individuals with low DA (Cerebral Dopamine) transmission capacity (i.e. high levels of dopamine) are more vulnerable to reactive/impulsive aggression in response to provocation. It was also proposed that individuals advocating and participating in aggressive behaviour felt a release in dopamine in their bodies during the aggression reinforcing aggressive behaviour as ‘good’ due to the pleasure found through the hormone release. With that in mind, some individuals seek out aggressive situations to make themselves ‘feel good’ and therefore are found to be aggressive individuals (Schuter, et al.,