Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 3 complete abstracts (575 words), 9 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
Behavior which may be manifested by destructive and attacking action which is verbal or physical, by covert attitudes of hostility or by obstructionism.
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Also known as: Aggressions.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Aberrant Motor Behavior in Dementia; Behavioral Symptoms; Social Behavior
- Narrower topics
- Agonistic Behavior; Bullying; Microaggression
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 48,725 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Aggression” (counts retrieved 2026-10-31). 10,376 of them (21.3%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is 2010-2019 with 15,307 records.
Reviews account for 4,133 records (8.5%) and meta-analyses for 480. Randomized controlled trials number 1,185 (2.4%) as a share of all records on the topic.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 14,642 |
| 2000-2009 | 8,400 |
| 2010-2019 | 15,307 |
| 2020 onward | 10,376 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 4,133 | 8.5% |
| Meta-analyses | 480 | 1.0% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 1,185 | 2.4% |
Method: PubMed query "Aggression"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-10-31.
Reading the evidence in psychiatry and psychology
Research on mental health and behaviour relies on questionnaires, interviews and rating scales rather than physical measurements, so how a condition was defined and measured shapes every result. Many studies are observational or small, placebo responses can be large, and findings in one group or culture may not carry over to another. Nothing on this page is advice about diagnosis or treatment; anyone worried about their mental health should talk to a qualified clinician. Check how outcomes were measured, who took part and how long they were followed.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
| Study / authors | Year | Source label / design | Europe PMC citations | Licence / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DANCE provides an open-source and low-cost approach to quantify aggression and courtship in Drosophila | 2025 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 5 | cc by PMID 41459640 · DOI · PMC12747525 |
| Emotion Regulation and Aggression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis | 2026 | Meta-analysis Design not recorded in structured metadata | 5 | cc by PMID 41424362 · DOI · PMC12720225 |
| Predatory aggression evolved through adaptations to noradrenergic circuits | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 5 | cc by PMID 41565818 · DOI · PMC12960248 |
DANCE provides an open-source and low-cost approach to quantify aggression and courtship in Drosophila [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Quantifying animal behavior is pivotal for identifying the neuronal and genetic mechanisms involved.
- Closing excerpt
- Its accessibility and robust performance democratize behavioral neuroscience, enabling rapid screening of genes and neuronal circuits underlying complex social behaviors.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (200 words)
Quantifying animal behavior is pivotal for identifying the neuronal and genetic mechanisms involved. Computational approaches have enabled automated analysis of complex behaviors such as aggression and courtship in Drosophila. However, existing approaches rely on rule-based algorithms and expensive hardware, limiting sensitivity to behavioral variations and accessibility. Here, we present the Drosophila Aggression and Courtship Evaluator (DANCE), a low-cost, open-source platform that combines machine learning-based classifiers and inexpensive hardware to quantify aggression and courtship. DANCE consists of six novel behavioral classifiers trained using a supervised machine learning algorithm. DANCE classifiers address key limitations of rule-based algorithms, capturing dynamic behavioral variations more effectively. DANCE hardware is constructed using medicine blister packs and acrylic sheets, with recordings acquired using smartphones, making it affordable and accessible. Benchmarking demonstrated that DANCE hardware performs comparably to high-cost setups. We validated DANCE in diverse contexts, including social isolation vs. enrichment, which modulates aggression and courtship; RNAi-mediated downregulation of the neuropeptide Dsk; and optogenetic silencing of dopaminergic neurons, which promotes aggression. DANCE provides a cost-effective and portable solution for studying behaviors in resource-limited settings or near natural habitats. Its accessibility and robust performance democratize behavioral neuroscience, enabling rapid screening of genes and neuronal circuits underlying complex social behaviors.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 41459640 · DOI · PMC12747525
Emotion Regulation and Aggression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Research on emotion regulation (ER) and aggression has increased rapidly in the past years, but heterogeneity across studies make integration of findings challenging.
- Closing excerpt
- Our findings suggest that interventions targeting ER, including those that explore and challenge angry predispositions and provide skills to manage impulse control, may help to prevent aggressive behaviour.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (227 words)
Research on emotion regulation (ER) and aggression has increased rapidly in the past years, but heterogeneity across studies make integration of findings challenging. To estimate the size and consistency of the relationship between ER and aggression we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis. In total, 16,369 articles were retrieved from Scopus, PubMed, PsycINFO, and CINAHL, and 137 articles (171 studies) provided 918 effect sizes from a total sample of N = 252,605. Multilevel models showed significant pooled relationships, with small-to-moderate effects. Use of adaptive strategies was associated with lower aggression (r = -0.090, I2 = 78%), but the precision estimate test (PET) bias corrected effect was non-significant. Use of maladaptive strategies (r = 0.329, I2 = 93%), and difficulties regulating emotions (r = 0.248, I2 = 89%), were associated with higher aggression. P-curves suggested little evidence of selective reporting while cumulative meta-analysis showed relatively consistent effects over time. Moderator analyses showed that effects were generally stronger for physical and other forms of aggression than sexual aggression, and weaker for intimate partner targets than other targets. Difficulties in ER were most strongly related to reactive compared with proactive aggression, but the use of ER strategies did not differ between motivations. Our findings suggest that interventions targeting ER, including those that explore and challenge angry predispositions and provide skills to manage impulse control, may help to prevent aggressive behaviour.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 41424362 · DOI · PMC12720225
Predatory aggression evolved through adaptations to noradrenergic circuits [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Behaviours are adaptive traits evolving through natural selection.
- Closing excerpt
- Thus, evolutionary adaptations in noradrenergic circuits facilitated the emergence of aggressive behavioural states associated with complex predatory traits.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (148 words)
Behaviours are adaptive traits evolving through natural selection. Crucially, the genetic, molecular and neural modifications that shape behavioural innovations are poorly understood1. Here, we identify specialized adaptations linked to the evolution of invertebrate aggression2. Using the predatory nematode Pristionchus pacificus, we developed a machine learning model from behavioural tracking data and identified robust behavioural states associated with aggressive episodes. Strikingly, predatory aggression coincides with a rewiring of key circuits across nematode evolution. We find modifications to the noradrenergic pathway, with octopamine promoting aggressive predatory bouts whereas tyramine antagonistically induces passive states. Modulation occurs through the octopamine receptors Ppa-ser-3 and Ppa-ser-6, and tyramine receptor Ppa-lgc-55. These localize to sensory neurons whose inhibition diminishes aggressive events. Crucially, this octopaminergic innovation emerged within this predatory lineage, consistent with an ancient divergence in function. Thus, evolutionary adaptations in noradrenergic circuits facilitated the emergence of aggressive behavioural states associated with complex predatory traits.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 41565818 · DOI · PMC12960248
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article Agreement Between Prospective and Retrospective Measures of Childhood Maltreatment: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis [4]
- Research article Bullying in the digital age: a critical review and meta-analysis of cyberbullying research among youth [5]
- Research article Sex differences in aggression between heterosexual partners: a meta-analytic review [6]
- Research article Violent video game effects on aggression, empathy, and prosocial behavior in eastern and western countries: a meta-analytic review [7]
- Research article Psychophysiology of aggression, psychopathy, and conduct problems: a meta-analysis [8]
- Research article Effects of violent video games on aggressive behavior, aggressive cognition, aggressive affect, physiological arousal, and prosocial behavior: a meta-analytic review of the scientific literature [9]
References
- Yadav RSP, Dey P, Ansari F, Kottat T, Vasam M, Prabhu PP, et al.. DANCE provides an open-source and low-cost approach to quantify aggression and courtship in Drosophila. . 2025. PMID 41459640 · DOI · PMC12747525
- Smith K, Jones A, Daly N, Widdrington H, Garofalo C, Gillespie SM. Emotion Regulation and Aggression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. . 2026. PMID 41424362 · DOI · PMC12720225
- Eren GG, Böger L, Roca M, Hiramatsu F, Liu J, Alvarez L, et al.. Predatory aggression evolved through adaptations to noradrenergic circuits. . 2026. PMID 41565818 · DOI · PMC12960248
- Baldwin JR, Reuben A, Newbury JB, Danese A. Agreement Between Prospective and Retrospective Measures of Childhood Maltreatment: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA Psychiatry. 2019. PMID 30892562 · DOI · PMC6551848
- Kowalski RM, Giumetti GW, Schroeder AN, Lattanner MR. Bullying in the digital age: a critical review and meta-analysis of cyberbullying research among youth. Psychol Bull. 2014. PMID 24512111 · DOI
- Archer J. Sex differences in aggression between heterosexual partners: a meta-analytic review. Psychol Bull. 2000. PMID 10989615 · DOI
- Anderson CA, Shibuya A, Ihori N, Swing EL, Bushman BJ, Sakamoto A, et al.. Violent video game effects on aggression, empathy, and prosocial behavior in eastern and western countries: a meta-analytic review. Psychol Bull. 2010. PMID 20192553 · DOI
- Lorber MF. Psychophysiology of aggression, psychopathy, and conduct problems: a meta-analysis. Psychol Bull. 2004. PMID 15250812 · DOI
- Anderson CA, Bushman BJ. Effects of violent video games on aggressive behavior, aggressive cognition, aggressive affect, physiological arousal, and prosocial behavior: a meta-analytic review of the scientific literature. Psychol Sci. 2001. PMID 11554666 · DOI
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-11-04; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-11-04.
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Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.