The study of aggressive behavior among students in the context of cognitive modeling

Abstract

This article examines aggressive behavior and its individual aspects through the lens of cognitive modeling. It presents the content analysis of an -developed questionnaire, which investigated possible ways of controlling aggressive behavior; situations that most often provoked aggressive behavior in students; cases of payback for aggression in the life of respondents (when individuals exhibiting a certain form of aggressive behavior become aware that it does not go unnoticed as a certain reaction follows from the people around them or from themselves); and the methods used by young people to cope with aggressive behavior. Based on the findings of our content analysis and standardized techniques, we present a cognitive model of aggressive behavior which can predict possible ways of coping with and responding to one’s own aggressive impulses or aggression from another person. We benents: affective (emotions and their understanding going along with a young person’s aggressive behavior), cognitive (attitudes and beliefs accompanying aggressive reactions), and conative (behavior available to a young person in a situation provoking aggressive reactions). We see the following prospects in investigating students’ aggressive behavior in terms of cognitive modeling: an analysis of their thoughts and attitudes will shed light on the triggers behind an aggressive reaction to what is happening, while a detailed cognitive model will contribute to planning the prevention of aggression in student community, making the educational process more effective and favorable from the socio-psychological perspective. Our research also provides a real opportunity to create a mobile application informing students and educators about their characteristic types of aggressive behavior and safe ways to respond to stressful and frustrating situations.