FORMS OF AGGRESSION IN BOYS AND GIRLS
Abstract. The article presents a study to identify gender differences in the level of aggression and forms of its manifestation. The purpose of the study was to examine the differences in the manifestation of aggression in boys and girls, as well as to confirm the hypothesis that boys and girls differ in the forms of manifestation of aggression, but not in its level. To achieve this goal, we used the Cooke-Medley Hostility Scale methodology to identify the propensity for hostile and implicit aggressive behaviour, as well as to investigate the level of aggression in young men and girls. To investigate the forms of aggression manifestation, we modified the method «Unfinished sentences». At the stage of the research, and more precisely the technique of the hostility scale «Cook – Medley», it was possible to draw conclusions that young men and girls are characterised by an average level of aggression, hostility and cynicism, as well as the absence of reliable gender differences in the level of aggression, hostility and cynicism. Analysing the results of the modified technique "Unfinished sentences", it was possible to find a variety of differences in the forms of aggression manifestation in boys and girls. Girls to a greater extent show verbal and indirect aggression. Young men to a greater extent show physical aggression. Young men are more often the first to confront, unlike girls. Girls are more likely to show indirect aggression through gossiping than boys. The conducted research allowed to confirm the hypothesis about the absence of gender differences in the level of aggression, as opposed to the forms of its manifestation, as well as to identify specific features in the manifestation of aggression within the gender aspect.
Keyword: aggression, forms of aggression, level of aggression, hostility, aggressiveness, cynicism, boys, girls, aggressive behaviour, gender differences.
Guseva Yulia – Candidate of Psychological Sciences, Associate Professor, Department of General and Social Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Russian State Pedagogical University. Herzen, St. Petersburg.
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Elenskaya Sofya – student of the training direction 03/37/01 – Psychology of the Institute of Psychology of the Russian State Pedagogical University named after. Herzen, St. Petersburg.
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