Relational aggression, big five and hostile attribution bias in adolescents

Τhe study examined two plausible models of the interplay between hostile attribution bias (HAB) for relational provocations, personality traits (big five), and the two distinct functions of relational aggression (RA) in a sample of 347 Greek adolescents (193 female participants; M = 13.1, SD = 1.20). In the first model the mediating role of HAB in the association between personality and RA was investigated. The moderating effects of personality in the association between HAB and RA were also explored. Results of the mediation analyses revealed that HAB partially mediated the relationship between low extraversion, conscientiousness, agreeableness, openness, high neuroticism, and both proactive and reactive RA. Moderation analyses indicated that low conscientiousness adolescents were more likely to engage in reactive RA when they make more hostile attributions for relational provocations. The findings emphasize the crucial role of personality and social-cognitive factors in understanding RA and are discussed in terms of their practical implications.