Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the mediating effect of adaptive cognitive strategies on the relationship between hostile attribution bias and reactive-proactive aggression. The participants were 169 college students who completed self-report questionnaires that measured hostile attribution, reactive-proactive aggression, and adaptive cognitive strategies. As a result, adaptive cognitive strategies significantly moderated the relationship between hostile attribution bias and reactive-proactive aggression. In other words, individuals with higher hostile attribution bias significantly predict higher levels of reactive-proactive aggression, with levels of aggression being regulated based on adaptive cognitive strategies, specifically positive reappraisal and acceptance, in this relationship. This study expanded the literature by elucidating the roles of adaptive cognitive strategies in predicting aggression about hostile attribution bias and underscored their significance.