Effects of sense of control on aggression among low-status Chinese undergraduate students

We examined whether a sense of control affects the relationship between low status and aggression among Chinese undergraduate students. A sample of 195 undergraduates in Study 1 completed anonymous questionnaires regarding their sense of control and trait aggression. Results showed that a greater sense of control was associated with less trait aggression among low-status participants, whereas no significant relationship was observed between sense of control and trait aggression among high-status participants. In Study 2, we further tested the effect of predictive control on aggression among low-status undergraduates using an experimental manipulation of predictive control, and found that low-status participants in a condition that fostered predictive control behaved less aggressively than did low-status participants in a condition that did not foster predictive control. Our findings indicate that when low-status people perceive a greater sense of control, their inclination to behave aggressively is decreased to some extent.