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Aggressive? from Time to Time… Uncovering the Complex Associations between Time Perspectives and Aggression

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to empirically verify a series of hypotheses on the role of time perspective (TP) in predicting aggression, formulated on the basis of TP Theory and models of aggression. Three hundred participants completed the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (ZTPI) and the Aggression Questionnaire (AQ). Analysis revealed numerous significant relationships between TP dimensions and aggression. In particular, individuals scoring high on Past Negative, Present Fatalistic, and Present Hedonistic were more prone to aggressive feelings, and, in consequence, aggressive behavior. These relationships were, however, strongly attenuated in individuals with high levels of two remaining TPs – Past Positive and Future. The results provide evidence that the temporal perspective people use to structure their experience into time horizons may play a significant role in the intensity and dynamics of aggression. We discuss our results from the perspectives of psychological theories of aggression and TP.

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Acknowledgments

The work of Maciej Stolarski was supported by the grant no 2014/13/D/HS6/02951 from the National Science Centre in Poland; the work of Marcin Zajenkowski was supported by the grant no 2014/13/B/HS6/04083 from the National Science Centre in Poland.

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Correspondence to Maciej Stolarski.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study. This article does not contain any studies with animals performed by any of the authors.

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The authors declare that there are no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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Stolarski, M., Zajenkowski, M. & Zajenkowska, A. Aggressive? from Time to Time… Uncovering the Complex Associations between Time Perspectives and Aggression. Curr Psychol 35, 506–515 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-016-9422-6

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