Examining the Relevance of Hostility for the Dual Systems Model: Predictive Power and Moderating Effects on Aggressive Behavior.

Imbalance in the development of impulse control and sensation-seeking is relevant for understanding the impact of cognition on antisocial behavior during adolescence and emerging adulthood. The role that hostility plays in the impact of impulse control and sensation-seeking on aggressive behavior remains understudied. The present study sought to address this gap in the literature by examining hostility as a moderator of the relationship between dual systems imbalance and aggressive behavior. All 11 waves of the Pathways to Desistance data were analyzed. Generalized estimating equations were used to examine direct and moderated effects of interest. Results indicated that a greater imbalance, characterized by elevated sensation-seeking and diminished impulse control, predicted increased aggressive behavior variety. Hostility exerted a significant and negative moderation effect on this relationship. Additional analyses indicated that there were significant differences in aggressive behavior variety between individuals with high levels versus low levels of hostility at the negative values of dual systems imbalance (high impulse control and low sensation-seeking), but these differences disappeared at the positive values of dual systems imbalance (high sensation-seeking and low impulse control).