Measurement of laboratory aggression: a new response-choice paradigm.

40 undergraduate student volunteers were tested on a new Response-choice Aggression Paradigm. Men and women were provoked in a reaction time competition by receiving electric shocks and were allowed to respond to a confederate with similar shocks or to refrain from any retaliation. Analysis indicated positive association between a self-report measure of physical aggression and laboratory responses on the paradigm, and positive associations among aggression indices of the task. The results confirm earlier findings of sex differences in aggression and offer new measures of aggression "flashpoint" as a step closer to aggressive behavior in naturalistic settings.