Abstract
Individuals with alexithymia, due to the fragmentation of cognitive and emotional components in their behavioral sequences, tend to interpret cues in a hostile manner and exhibit maladaptive behaviors such as aggression. The disconnect between subjective stress evaluation and autonomic response may exacerbate these externalized behavioral problems. However, this perspective has not been sufficiently validated in the college student population. The current study measured 754 college students in northern China using validated scales for alexithymia, aggressive behavior, and perceived stress. The results revealed a significant positive correlation between alexithymia and perceived stress, aggressive behavior(t = 0.602,t = 0.410,P < 0.001), the direct predictive effect of alexithymia on aggressive behavior was significant (B = 0.574, t = 12.191, P < 0.001).This finding supports the notion that alexithymia can influence an individual's predisposition towards aggressive behavior. Furthermore, the study explored the mediating role of perceived stress in this relationship. Perceived stress, the predictive effect of alexithymia on aggressive behavior remained significant (B = 0.363,t = 6.284, P < 0.001) after the introduction of the mediating variable. The indirect effect, mediated by perceived stress, is 0.145, accounting for 36.62% of the total effect. The findings provide valuable insights into the complex interplay between alexithymia, aggressive behavior, and perceived stress in college students, which can guide future research and interventions aimed at reducing aggressive behavior in this population.