Personality Traits and Aggressive Behavior in Vietnamese Adolescents

PURPOSE: This study aims to reveal the relationship between personality characteristics and verbal or physical aggression in Vietnamese adolescents. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We recruited 3003 participants [1498 boys (49.9%) and 1505 girls (50.1%); mean age ± SD = 13.50 ± 0.936] who we tested with the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire - Brief version (EPQ-BV), and Vietnamese Aggression Scale (VAS). A multivariate analysis of variance test, Pearson Correlation, and analyzing mediating variable interaction is used to analyze data. RESULTS: The findings suggested a significant interaction between personality traits, specifically extraversion and neuroticism, and physical aggression, verbal aggression, and anger. Students with higher levels of personality had higher levels of verbal aggression, and students with higher levels of physical aggression and anger had stronger personality traits than others and lower levels of physical aggression and anger. Personality traits, specifically extraversion, and neuroticism, differed significantly by gender and school years in adolescence. Mediation analysis revealed a positive and statistically significant indirect correlation between personality traits and physically aggressive behavior, with anger as a mediator. Similarly, a positive and statistically significant indirect correlation between personality traits and verbally aggressive behavior through anger was found. The relationship between personality traits and physical aggression was also significant via verbal aggression and anger. CONCLUSION: This study improved our understanding of personality traits and verbal or physical aggression. Most crucially, physical and verbal aggression mediate personality traits and aggressive conduct. In secondary school, gender and school year affected extraversion and neuroticism. This discovery illuminates personality-based aggressiveness intervention.