The main symptoms of the AHA-syndrome: relationships between anger, hostility, and aggression in a normal population

Abstract

The purpose of the present study is to analyse the relationship between the main symptoms of the AHA-Syndrome – anger, hostility, and aggression – summarising the main empirical results of our research in normal people. The different definitions of aggression may be grouped according to whether the primary goal is distress or harm, focussing primarily on the objective infliction of harm, or on the subjective intention of harming. Most classifications in the literature show two kinds of aggression, even if different names are used: (i) hostile aggression – also known as reactive, impulsive, or affective – is an act, primarily oriented to hurt another individual; and (ii) instrumental aggression – also known as proactive, premeditated, or predative – is a means or tool for solving problems, or for obtaining a variety of objectives. As predicted, there was a positive correlation between the experience and expression of anger. Anger involved physiological arousal and prepared for aggression. Finally, hostility positively correlated with anger and different kinds of aggression, but not its degree of justification.