Physical Aggression and Mindfulness among College Students: Evidence from China and the United States

Yu Gao, Lu Shi, Kelly C. Smith, Jeffery B. Kingree and Martie Thompson
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Yu Gao: Division of Physical Education, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, Shanghai 200433, China
Lu Shi: Department of Public Health Sciences, Clemson Univistry, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
Kelly C. Smith: Department of Philosophy and Religion, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
Jeffery B. Kingree: Department of Public Health Sciences, Clemson Univistry, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
Martie Thompson: Department of Public Health Sciences, Clemson Univistry, Clemson, SC 29634, USA

IJERPH, 2016, vol. 13, issue 5, 1-7

Abstract: Background : The link between trait mindfulness and several dimensions of aggression (verbal, anger and hostility) has been documented, while the link between physical aggression and trait mindfulness remains less clear. Method : We used two datasets: one United States sample from 300 freshmen males from Clemson University, South Carolina and a Chinese sample of 1516 freshmen students from Shanghai University of Finance and Economics. Multiple regressions were conducted to examine the association between mindfulness (measured by Mindful Attention and Awareness Scale (MAAS)) and each of the four subscales of aggression. Results : Among the Clemson sample ( N = 286), the mindfulness scale had a significant negative association with each of the four subscales of aggression: Hostility: ? = ?0.62, p < 0.001; Verbal: ? = ?0.37, p < 0.001; Physical: ? = ?0.29, p < 0.001; Anger: ? = ?0.44, p < 0.001. Among the Shanghai male subsample, the mindfulness scale had a significant negative association with each of the four subscales of aggression: Hostility: ? = ?0.57, p < 0.001; Verbal: ? = ?0.37, p < 0.001; Physical: ? = ?0.35, p < 0.001; Anger: ? = ?0.58, p < 0.001. Among the Shanghai female subsample ( N = 512), the mindfulness scale had a significant negative association with each of the four subscales of aggression: Hostility: ? = ?0.62, p < 0.001; Verbal: ? = ?0.41, p < 0.001; Physical: ? = ?0.52, p < 0.001; and Anger: ? = ?0.64, p < 0.001. Discussion : Our study documents the negative association between mindfulness and physical aggression in two non-clinical samples. Future studies could explore whether mindfulness training lowers physical aggression among younger adults.

Keywords: mindfulness; aggression; younger adults; adolescents; college; China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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