The role of Mindfulness and Emotion Regulation in Impulsive aggression: a cross-cultural comparison

Conflicting situations are a part of life, and how we respond to them plays a crucial role in shaping our behavior. In such moments, individuals may either act on self-interested, impulsive aggression or regulate their responses in line with long-term goals. This study explores the factors that help individuals postpone self-interested impulses and instead act based on their set intentions. We used self-report measures of mindfulness and emotion regulation, along with the Taylor Aggression Paradigm (TAP), a computer-based task assessing impulsive aggression in a lab setting. The sample included 55 Turkish and 44 Iranian participants, totaling 99 individuals. Our results showed that mindfulness was significantly associated with lower levels of impulsive aggression. Emotion regulation alone did not significantly predict reduced aggression. However, it played a mediating role in the relationship between mindfulness and impulsive aggression. No significant cultural differences were found between Iranian and Turkish participants overall. However, gender differences emerged: Iranian women displayed the lowest levels of impulsive aggression, while Turkish men exhibited the highest.This study highlights the role of mindfulness and emotion regulation in helping individuals avoid impulsive aggression and instead act in accordance with their personal goals.