Which form of aggression involves harming another person with the intent to cause injury?

Which form of aggression involves harming another person with the intent to cause injury?

• A. Aggression
• B. Hostile aggression
• C. Instrumental aggression
• D. Reactive aggression

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is how the motive behind aggression shapes its label. When someone harms another person with the goal of causing injury, the behavior is driven by anger and hostility rather than by a goal to achieve something else. That makes it hostile aggression—the harm is the end in itself, produced by strong emotional arousal and impulsivity. In contrast, instrumental aggression uses harm as a means to an outside objective (like stealing or gaining resources), so harming isn’t the end goal. Reactive aggression is a response to provocation or threat; it involves retaliation, but the core drive is responding to a trigger, not a general intent to injure. So “harm another person with the intent to cause injury” fits hostile aggression best because the explicit aim is to inflict harm driven by anger.

The main idea here is how the motive behind aggression shapes its label. When someone harms another person with the goal of causing injury, the behavior is driven by anger and hostility rather than by a goal to achieve something else. That makes it hostile aggression—the harm is the end in itself, produced by strong emotional arousal and impulsivity.

In contrast, instrumental aggression uses harm as a means to an outside objective (like stealing or gaining resources), so harming isn’t the end goal. Reactive aggression is a response to provocation or threat; it involves retaliation, but the core drive is responding to a trigger, not a general intent to injure.

So “harm another person with the intent to cause injury” fits hostile aggression best because the explicit aim is to inflict harm driven by anger.