Moral Approval of Aggressive Acts

Abstract

This study is a replication of research by Lagerspetz and Westman (1980) concerning moral approval of various types of interpersonal aggression. The study and related cross-cultural comparisons are basically exploratory. The original technique was adapted for a Polish population. In both studies, subjects were given the "social attitudes inventory" to measure their approval of aggression. The pattern of most approved aggression forms was identical in both samples; the highest approval scores were obtained for violent aggressive behavior, which was justified either for the benefit of others or for self-defense; the Polish sample, as compared to the Finnish one, demonstrated higher approval of more violent forms of aggression. In conclusion, these results were discussed as indicating that an individual's beliefs and values are expressed in the moral approval of aggression, are produced by socialization experiences, and serve as mechanisms regulating interpersonal aggression.