Trait anger and aggression: A moderated mediation model of anger rumination and moral disengagement

Although trait anger has been shown to play an important role in aggression, little is known about mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying this relation. Based on the general aggression model, we investigated the mediating role of anger rumination in the association between trait anger and aggression and the moderating role of moral disengagement. Four hundred and sixty-four Chinese young adults completed the measures of trait anger, anger rumination, moral disengagement, and aggression. The results indicated that trait anger was significantly and positively associated with aggression and anger rumination mediated this relation. Moral disengagement moderated the relation between anger rumination and aggression and the relation between trait anger and aggression. Specifically, the significant relation between anger rumination and aggression only existed among high moral disengagement individuals and the relation between trait anger and aggression became weaker for high moral disengagement individuals.