The impact of self-control on aggressive behavior: the chained mediating role of hostile attribution bias and positive/negative implicit affect.

Objective: This study examined the direct impact of self-control on aggressive behavior and the mediating roles of hostile attribution bias and both positive and negative implicit affect. Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted among 545 vocational students at a vocational school in Henan Province, utilizing the Self-Control Scale, Hostile Attribution Bias Questionnaire, Implicit Positive-Negative Affect Test, and Aggressiveness Behavior Scale as measurement tools. Data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0 and PROCESS 4.1. Results: The findings revealed that selfcontrol negatively correlated with aggressive behavior, negative implicit affect, and hostile attribution bias, but showed a positive correlation with positive implicit affect. A significant chained mediating effect of hostile attribution bias and negative implicit affect was observed, while the mediating effect of positive implicit affect was not significant. Discussion: These results confirm that self-control influences aggressive behavior through a complex psychological pathway, highlighting the critical roles of hostile attribution bias and negative implicit affect in this process. The findings provide a basis for interventions targeting aggressive behavior based on psychological variables.