Aggression and Violent Behavior Volume 5, Issue 2, March-April 2000, Pages 191-200

doi:10.1016/S1359-1789(98)00029-9 | How to Cite or Link Using DOI

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Social intelligence - empathy = aggression?Kaj Bjrkqvist, Karin sterman, Ari KaukiainenPublished in:Aggression and Violent BehaviorVolume
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Social intelligence empathy = aggression?

Kaj Bjrkqvista, , Karin stermana, Ari Kaukiainenb

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bo Akademi University Vasa, Finland Department of Psychology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland

Available online 6 December 1999.

Referred to by Erratum : Aggression and Violent Behavior, Volume 5, Issue 4, July-August 2000, Page 429
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Abstract
Empathy reduces aggressive behavior. While empathy and social intelligence are strongly correlated, it is, for both logical and consequential reasons, important to regard them as different concepts. Social intelligence is required for all types of conflict behavior, prosocial as well as antisocial, but the presence of empathy acts as a mitigator of aggression. When empathy is partialed out, correlations between social intelligence and all types of aggression increase, while correlations between social intelligence and peaceful conflict resolution decrease. Social intelligence is related differently to various forms of aggressive behavior: more strongly to indirect than to verbal aggression, and

weakest to physical aggression, which is in accordance with the developmental theory of aggressive style. More sophisticated forms of aggression require more social intelligence. Keywords: Conflict resolution; empathy; indirect aggression; physical aggression; social intelligence; verbal aggression

Article Outline
Physical, verbal, and indirect aggression Social intelligence Empathy Empathy mitigates aggression Sex differences in conflict behavior

Girls Use Indirect Aggression More Than Boys Reasons for Sex Differences in Aggression Sex Differences in Peaceful Conflict Resolution The Development of Metacognition Social intelligence, empathy, and conflict behavior

Relationships Between Social Intelligence, Empathy, and Indirect Aggression Relationships Between Social Intelligence, Empathy, Pro- and Antisocial Conflict Behavior Conclusions References