Instrumental Aggression: Definition & Examples

What Is Instrumental Aggression?

Instrumental aggression refers to aggressive behavior meant to achieve a specific goal. Unlike other types of aggression, the behavior is not due to anger or other emotion but rather a calculated means to an end. Instrumental aggression is similar to bullying but with a specific, manipulative purpose. People who exhibit this behavior are trying to create a particular outcome through aggression.¹

Instrumental Aggression Vs. Hostile Aggression

The primary difference between instrumental and hostile aggression is the motivation behind the behavior. Hostile aggression is often driven by acting out emotions like anger, rage, or desire to hurt others. People who exhibit hostile aggression have difficulty expressing their feelings in a healthy, constructive way and may act aggressively to express their anger.

On the other hand, instrumental aggression always has an underlying motive. The aggressive behavior is meant to control the outcome of a situation and serves a distinct purpose. Unlike hostile aggression, the motivation is not simply to express emotions and act on impulse. It is calculated behavior aimed at controlling and manipulating the outcome of a situation.²

Instrumental Aggression Vs. Relational Aggression

Relational aggression is a specific type of instrumental aggression intended to harm or ruin someone’s social status, reputation, or peer relationships. This can include spreading rumors and lies, shutting someone out of their social circle, or gossiping about someone. Unlike other instrumental or hostile forms of aggression, relational aggression aims to harm someone’s social status or place in the social hierarchy.³

Types of Instrumental Aggression

There are two types of instrumental aggression: physical and social. Physical aggression refers to behaviors that cause physical harm to someone. This includes punching, hitting, kicking, shoving, and biting. A schoolyard bully physically assaulting someone to establish dominance among their peers would be an example of physical instrumental aggression.

Social aggression refers to acts of relational aggression aimed at a specific social goal. This can include malicious gossip, double-crossing during a negotiation, or manipulation in the workplace. For a behavior to be classified as instrumental aggression, it must be aimed at a specific goal, like taking someone’s place in the social group, gaining popularity or influence, or ruining someone’s reputation.⁴

Instrumental Aggression Examples

Any time aggression is intended to reach a specific goal and is not based on anger, it is instrumental aggression. Instrumental aggression can happen in the workplace, in social settings, among friend groups, or at school. Children, teenagers, and adults can all engage in instrumental aggression. Here are some examples of what instrumental aggression might look like in different settings.

Examples of instrumental aggression in adults include:

• A person taking credit for work they did not do in order to get a raise
• A coworker sabotaging someone’s work to have a better chance at a promotion
• A drill sergeant yelling at a platoon to help them become mentally and physically stronger
• A parent starting rumors about another parent to gain status in the PTA
• A person harming someone’s car to make them late for something
• A gang member using violence as a means to assert dominance over their territory
• An abusive partner being physically violent so that the other partner will be too scared to leave

Examples of instrumental aggression in children include:

• A child bullying another child to get the toy that the other kid is playing with
• A child threatening and intimidating other children to get their lunch money
• An athlete purposely shoving, tripping, or fouling an opponent to manipulate the outcome of a game
• A teenager spreading rumors and gossip about a classmate to take their place in a social group
• An adolescent stealing their classmate’s notes to sabotage their test results and get the highest score in the class

Why Do Individuals Engage in Instrumental Aggression?

A person may engage in instrumental aggression when they feel that is the easiest way for them to get what they want. They may lack confidence or doubt their abilities to get things done on their merit. They may doubt their intelligence, social standing, or abilities and feel they must resort to aggression to get ahead.

Another possible reason for instrumental aggression is childhood trauma. Someone with a history of childhood trauma likely had needs that their caregivers did not meet. They may have found other ways to meet their needs, including aggressive tactics to get what they want. People with childhood trauma often have difficulty trusting others to be there for them and rely on any means necessary to meet their objectives.

Research has shown that aggression has a genetic component. In one study, researchers found that people are more likely to engage in all types of aggression, including instrumental aggression, when they have a certain combination of genetics and experience.⁵

Skinner’s theory of operant conditioning states that people are motivated by reinforcement or punishment occurring after a behavior. In the case of instrumental aggression, someone whose aggression is reinforced by getting whatever they set out to get is more likely to repeat this tactic. In other words, if instrumental aggression works, they will be more likely to stick with it.

Instrumental Aggression & Psychopathy

Psychopaths are far more likely to engage in instrumental aggression frequently. People described as psychopaths typically lack empathy and may even enjoy harming others. They generally disregard the safety or well-being of others and have no remorse for causing harm. A psychopath would have no problem at all engaging in instrumental aggression as a means to meet their own goals.⁷ Psychopathy is twice as common in males as females and is responsible for 30-40% of violent crime in the US.⁶

Instrumental Aggression & Pain

Research shows that people in pain may undergo changes to their emotions and interactions, causing an increase in anger, frustration, or irritability. Someone in pain may be more likely to resort to instrumental aggression to meet their needs and cope with the pain. They may also be more likely to resort to this behavior when they cannot get their needs met effectively through communication.⁸

When to Seek Professional Support

If someone is worried that they may be engaging in instrumental aggression, they should seek professional help. Therapy can help individuals develop tools for anger management or other emotional regulation. An online therapist directory or online therapy platform can be a good choice for finding a therapist specializing in aggression.

Several types of therapy could be effective for someone seeking help for instrumental aggression. If underlying anger is a motivator, cognitive behavioral therapy for anger is helpful. Internal family systems (IFS) and eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) are helpful if an individual resorts to instrumental aggression due to childhood trauma. Attachment-based therapy helps heal from attachment wounds that contribute to issues around needs being met.

In My Experience

In my experience, instrumental aggression is much different than other types of aggression because the primary goal is not to cause harm but to meet a goal. What strikes me about this is the ability to justify harm to others as long as the objective is met. People who practice instrumental aggression tactics have most likely caused significant damage to their relationships and other aspects of their lives.

If someone came to me seeking treatment for instrumental aggression, I would first commend them for recognizing this pattern and seeking help. Awareness is the first step. Then, as a trauma therapist, I would help the client identify and heal childhood traumas and attachment wounds. I believe that something happened to cause a person to get their needs met in this way. I would tell any client seeking help for this issue that my job is not to judge but to help them heal so they can have happy, fulfilling relationships.