Methodological structure for aggression research.

Kendler's seminal essay listed 8 major propositions outlining a philosophical framework for the entire field of psychiatry [Kendler (American Journal of Psychiatry 162:433-440, 2005)]. These propositions have grounded psychiatric research on a coherent conceptual basis. The field of aggression research needs a general conceptual framework that would help us to integrate the contributions of neurobiology, sociology, criminology, and other areas. All of Kendler's propositions are generally relevant in this respect. The aim of the current article is to develop specific applications of four of Kendler's propositions for aggression research. These four propositions are: "Psychiatry is irrevocably grounded in mental, first-person experiences", "Psychiatric disorders are etiologically complex, and we can expect no more "spirochete-like" discoveries that will explain their origin in simple terms", "Explanatory pluralism is preferable to monistic explanatory approaches, especially biological reductionism", and "Acceptance of Patchy Reductionism".