The curve is still out there: a reply to Bushman, Wang, and Anderson's (2005) "Is the curve relating temperature to aggression linear or curvilinear?"

J Pers Soc Psychol. 2005 Jul;89(1):67-70. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.89.1.67.

Abstract

This article replies to research conducted by B. J. Bushman, M. C. Wang, and C. A. Anderson and demonstrates that the results of prior research by E. G. Cohn and J. Rotton do support the existence of a curvilinear relationship between temperature and aggression when time of day is taken into consideration. The shape of the relationship between temperature and aggression also depends on a number of other factors, including season, amount of social interaction, type of violence, and type of setting. It appears that linear relationships between temperature and aggression identified by B. J. Bushman et al. are less ubiquitous than might be believed and that the curve is still out there.

Publication types

  • Comment
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Aggression*
  • Humans
  • Linear Models
  • Models, Psychological*
  • Risk Factors
  • Temperature*
  • Violence*