Perception and Aggressive Ideation: A Microgenetic Approach

Our participants observed a series of degraded images of two artworks using a microgenetic method. What would be an observer’s response to a visual image depicting an act of violence? While the microgenetic method was expected to elicit aggressive ideation, two competing hypotheses were considered: (a) more aggressive content in the verbal reports, or (b) less aggressive content in the verbal reports. Both hypotheses are supported by our data. For individuals suffering from mental disorders, having a history of aggression, we report a low level of ideational fluency and a high level of aggressive ideation; for creative individuals who study or work in creative fields (e.g., music, painting, and sculpting), with no psychiatric history, we report a high level of ideational fluency and a low level of aggressive ideation.