Aggression and anxiety influence the relationship between interpersonal sensitivity and military morale among new recruits

Abstract

We explored the internal mechanism of military morale by examining the relationships of interpersonal sensitivity, aggression, anxiety, and military morale among newly recruited army soldiers. Participants (N = 718) completed a self-report survey measuring the focal variables. The results indicate that military morale was negatively related to interpersonal sensitivity and aggression. Further, aggression played a mediating role in the relationship between interpersonal sensitivity and military morale, and the mediating effect of aggression was, in turn, moderated by anxiety. Our study enriches the interpersonal model of military morale and has implications for interventions to improve military morale, such as training in reduction of interpersonal sensitivity or counseling for high interpersonal sensitivity to improve military morale, and avoiding selecting individuals with high levels of interpersonal sensitivity, anxiety, and aggression when recruiting soldiers.