Does impulsivity mediate the relationship between alexithymia and aggression?

In order to reduce the harm inflicted by aggression, the antecedent of it must be identified. The previous research findings have demonstrated that alexithymia is one of these factors, but the mechanisms underlying this connection are not well-understood. The present study aimed to assess impulsivity as a mediator of the relationship between alexithymia and aggressive behavior among university students.

This study was descriptive correlational in design and the participants were 198 students from Yazd University in the academic year of 2017-2018. These students were assessed by Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 (TAS-20), Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ), and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS). Afterwards, the data was analyzed by Structural Equation Modeling Technique (SEM) utilizing Amos software.

Analyses indicated that alexithymia and aggression were positively correlated with one another, as well as impulsivity. Analyses of mediation indicated that impulsivity partially mediated the association between alexithymia and aggression in Iranian students.

The results indicate that the effect of alexithymia on aggression was partially mediated by impulsivity. Hence, the future research can examine the other possible mediators.