Journal of Applied Psychology
2007, Vol. 92, No. 3, 722–744
Copyright 2007 by the American Psychological Association
0021-9010/07/$12.00 DOI: 10.1037/0021-9010.92.3.722
An Integrative Typology of Personality Assessment for Aggression:
Implications for Predicting Counterproductive Workplace Behavior
Mark N. Bing
Susan M. Stewart
University of Mississippi
University of Puget Sound
H. Kristl Davison
Philip D. Green and Michael D. McIntyre
University of Mississippi
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Lawrence R. James
Georgia Institute of Technology
This study presents an integrative typology of personality assessment for aggression. In this typology,
self-report and conditional reasoning (L. R. James, 1998) methodologies are used to assess 2 separate, yet
often congruent, components of aggressive personalities. Specifically, self-report is used to assess
explicit components of aggressive tendencies, such as self-perceived aggression, whereas conditional
reasoning is used to assess implicit components, in particular, the unconscious biases in reasoning that
are used to justify aggressive acts. These 2 separate components are then integrated to form a new
theoretical typology of personality assessment for aggression. Empirical tests of the typology were
subsequently conducted using data gathered across 3 samples in laboratory and field settings and reveal
that explicit and implicit components of aggression can interact in the prediction of counterproductive,
deviant, and prosocial behaviors. These empirical tests also reveal that when either the self-report or
conditional reasoning methodology is used in isolation, the resulting assessment of aggression may be
incomplete. Implications for personnel selection, team composition, and executive coaching are discussed.
Keywords: implicit aggression, conditional reasoning, personality, counterproductive behavior, personnel
selection
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