Consequences for Targets of Aggression as a Function of Aggressor and Instigator roles: Three Experiments

In three studies the amount of shock directed towards an opponent was assessed as a function of the subject's role, aggressor or advisor. Subjects when serving as aggressors (directly set shock for the target) directed less intense shock toward a nonprovocative target than when they were serving as advisors (instructed another individual to set the shock), whether vulnerable or invulnerable to attack. When the target was provocative there was no significant difference in the intensity of aggression as a function of the role change. Results were discussed in terms of vulnerability, potency of provocation, and role demands and expectations.