Assistant Professor University of Delaware Newark, Delaware
Aggression is a significant public health concern and is associated with many negative outcomes, including gun violence, school dropout, and socioeconomic burden (Ludwig, 2017; Kokko et al., 2006). Accumulating evidence suggests that low levels of inhibitory control or self-control is associated with higher levels of aggression perpetration (DeWall et al., 2007; Finkel et al., 2009; Marcus-Newall et al., 2000). Further, theoretical models of frustrative non-reward postulate that aggression can occur in response to frustration when a desired goal is unattainable (Berkowitz, 1989). However, dispositional traits and neurobiological mechanisms explaining the association between inhibitory control and aggression is still under investigation. In a sample of 188 participants aged 18–55 (M/SD = 32.77/10.44, female = 51.1%), we examined the role of gray matter volume regions associated with trait reward sensitivity as potential neurobiological substrates linking inhibitory control to lifetime aggression. Using a whole cortex analysis, we found trait consummatory reward (e.g., feeling joy during the present) significantly correlated with the right medial orbital frontal cortex (cluster-wise p value = 0.035). In addition, the right medial orbital frontal cortex partially mediated the association between inhibitory control and lifetime aggression (B = -0.035, SE = 0.017, 95% CI = -0.07/-0.005). These results suggest that neurobiological mechanisms associated with consummatory reward may be a potential marker for explaining the association between inhibitory control and aggression. Further, the results may suggest that targeting low levels of joy can be a potential intervention target for individuals prone to aggressive tendencies.
