The Specifics of Hostility and Aggression of Persons Prone to Experiencing Envy of Various Types

Abstract

Aggressive human behavior, including unlawful, is characterized by a complex psychological process, in which all components of personality are involved. Research interest specifies the need for a deeper understanding of envy as a hypothetically possible motive for aggressive crimes. The purpose of the study is to analyze the relationship between the indicators of envy and indicators of aggression and hostility of the individual and to identify typical types of aggression among people prone to experience envy of different types. Methodology - a set of research methods, used in the research, includes the following: theoretical (analysis, synthesis, comparison, generalization and interpretation of literature sources and theoretical approaches to the particular issues); empirical methods (observation, survey, testing); mathematical and statistical methods. To process empirical data, the method of quantitative (correlation analysis, comparison of average values by Student’s t-test, using computer program for statistical data processing SPSS 17.0 for Windows) and qualitative analysis (method «aces» and «profiles») are applied as well. The methodical support of psychodiagnostic research was carried out with the help of the following methods: 1. Original test-questionnaire «Differential diagnosis of personality propensity to envy» (DIZA) and questionnaire «Social guidelines of the individual relative to envy» (elaborated by O. P. Sannikova, A. F. Lisovenko); 2. «Methods of diagnosis of hostility» (after the scale of Cook – Medley); 3. «Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventor» (BDHI). Scientific novelty: in the scientific research we: 1) clarified the meaning of the concepts «envy», «aggression», «hostility» and proposed an author’s definition of «envy»; 2) theoretically substantiated and empirically confirmed the relationship of indicators of envy with markers of aggression and hostility of the individual; 3) empirically revealed distinctive types of aggression among individuals, prone to experiencing envy of different types. Conclusions: Envy (tendency to experiencing feelings of envy) according to the author’s position is defined as a complex multilevel property of personality, which is manifested in constant comparison with others (or imaginary «standard») not in their favor, in the subjective sense of self-esteem, passionate desire to take advantage of the object of comparison when it is impossible to obtain or acquire the desired, accompanied by specific manifestations (emotional, cognitive, behavioral, control-regulatory, motivational, constitutive, etc.). Significant correlations of the positive sign between the indicators of envy and almost all the indicators of hostility and aggression were obtained. The profiles of hostility and aggression in groups of subjects with different types of envy experience were analyzed, on the basis of which «psychological portraits» of individuals with a tendency to experience envy of different types (emotional, cognitive, behavioral and control-regulatory) were provided. It is proved that envy can affect the specifics of hostility and aggression of the individual in different ways. A perspective direction of the research includes studying of the level and envy specifics among individuals, convicted of crimes with an aggressive focus.

Keywords: envy; tendency to envy; hostility; aggression; cynicism; negativism; personality; individual psychological characteristics.