Instigative Aggression in Females

Abstract

40 females suggested to partners (confederates) which shock intensity should be delivered to an opponent during a competitive task. Aggressiveness of the instigations was a function of cooperativeness of the partner, aggressiveness of the opponent, and winning and losing in the competition, but not of either instrumental value or E. Results were compared with data from male Ss. Only instrumental reward differentially affected behaviors of men and women.