Conceptualization and Test of an Aggression Competence Model

A model of aggression competence was constructed by overlaying a 2-dimensional conceptualization of aggressive communication onto Spitzberg's model of communication competence. An empirical investigation tested the hypotheses that argumentative communication is more effective than nonargumentative communication, and that verbally aggressive communication is less appropriate than communication that is not verbally aggressive. The presumption that argumentative communication that is not verbally aggressive is effective and appropriate communication received strong support. However, the relationships among argumentative communication, verbally aggressive communication, appropriateness, and effectiveness are not linear. Although appropriateness and effectiveness when combined typify competent aggressive communication, non-competent aggressive communication splits them. Totally nonaggressive communication is least effective, whereas nonargumentative verbal aggression is least appropriate. For moderately competent aggression, respondents made finer distinctions in ratings of effectiveness than of appropriateness. A modified aggression competence model is proposed.