Parental attitudes and a tendency to impulsive aggression. A mediating role of alexithymia

• Authors: Zdankiewicz-Ścigała, Elżbieta , Sikora, Joanna , Ścigała, Dawid Konrad

Abstracts

EN

Aim: The aim of the study was an analysis of a relationship between parental attitudes and a tendency to impulsive aggression with a consideration of a mediating role of alexithymia. Method: The experiment used the following scales: Parental Bonding Instrument, Toronto Alexithymia Scale, and The Aggression Questionnaire, BPAQ. The study’s sample was a randomly selected group of people. There were 197 participants aged between 22 and 43 years old (M = 34.42; SD = 5.47). There were slightly more females (53.8%) than males. In terms of educational history, there were mostly people with higher education (74.1%), there rest were participants with mid-level education (14.2%) and at a bachelor’s level (11.7%). Results: As a result of conducted analysis, correlations, regression, and mediation, a moderate relationship between maternal control and difficulties with emotional identification and father’s control and alexithymia as a whole and, separately, with an operative way of thinking were identified. Maternal control is associated with a development of a tendency to hostility. In turn, father’s control increases a tendency to physical aggression, hostility, and anger. Alexithymia is strongly connected with physical aggression, hostility and anger and is a significant mediator in a relationship between maternal and father’s control and various aspects of aggression, increasing its intensity. Age correlates positively with alexithymia intensity. Conclusions: The current experiments suggests an existence of strong relationships between parental attitudes, mainly control, and a tendency to a development of alexithymia and also a tendency to various types of aggression. Alexithymia, blocking processes of emotional identification and verbalisation, results in a language no longer serving regulation and impulse control, increasing therefore a risk of aggressive behaviours. The current experiment suggests, that in the following research, there should be included also other dimensions of emotional regulation when looking at relationships between parental attitudes, alexithymia, and aggression.

Keywords

EN

parental attitudes; alexithymia; aggression

• Publisher: Akademia Pedagogiki Specjalnej im. Marii Grzegorzewskiej. Wydawnictwo APS
• Journal: Psychologia Wychowawcza
• Year: 2018
• Volume: 56(14)
• Pages: 134-154

Dates

published

2019-08-20

Contributors

author

Zdankiewicz-Ścigała, Elżbieta

author

Sikora, Joanna

author

Ścigała, Dawid Konrad