The influences of self-efficacy and outcome expectancy on aggressive behavior as anger expression and the cognitive reappraisals

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to search for the influences of self-efficacy and outcome expectancy on aggressive behavior as anger expression and cognitive reappraisals. First, the subjects who participated in the experiment received negative evaluation of their characteristics from the confederate. Next, the experimenter prepared another experiment, in which the confederate was believed to receive an electric shock as a punishment of the failure in a task. After manipulating self-efficacy and outcome expectancy as independent variables, the anger expressive reaction and cognitive factors were measured. From the result, it was suggested that the aggressive behavior as anger expression was controlled by self-efficacy and outcome expectancy, which differed from the cognitive factors of anger evocation. Moreover, it was suggested that when the expression of anger was recognized to be difficult, the reappraisals of the evaluation to anger inhibition, and of the instigator's malicious intent arouse.