The Relationship Between Negative Life Events and Aggressive/Prosocial Behavior: A Latent Profile Analysis Based on Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction

Zhu, Yanli; Jiang, Mengzhu; Feng, Fan; Xia, Defeng

doi:10.3390/bs15121722

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The Relationship Between Negative Life Events and Aggressive/Prosocial Behavior: A Latent Profile Analysis Based on Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction

by

Yanli Zhu

^1,*,

Mengzhu Jiang

¹,

Fan Feng

¹ and

Defeng Xia

^2,*

¹

Department of Psychology, School of Education, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China

²

School of Political Science and Public Administration, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China

^*

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Behav. Sci. 2025, 15(12), 1722; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15121722

Submission received: 8 September 2025 / Revised: 5 November 2025 / Accepted: 9 December 2025 / Published: 12 December 2025

(This article belongs to the Section Social Psychology)

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Abstract

This study integrates Self-Determination Theory with an emotion–cognition framework and uses a questionnaire-based design to examine individual differences in behavioral responses. A person-centered latent profile analysis (LPA) was conducted among 1596 Chinese participants (gender: 68.9% female; mean age: 18.25 years old) to identify distinct behavioral profiles in the context of negative life events. The results revealed that (1) four distinct profiles emerged among participants: a Self-Focused Group (33.65%), a Stress–Aggression Group (20.11%), an Ambivalent–Aggression Group (21.68%), and a Prosocial Group (24.56%); (2) significant differences were observed among these profiles in terms of empathic responses and psychological need satisfaction. By employing a person-centered analytical approach, this study contributes to a nuanced understanding of behavioral divergence under stress and offers insights for designing subgroup-specific psychological interventions.

Keywords: negative life events; prosocial behavior; aggressive behavior; latent profile analysis; communal orientation

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MDPI and ACS Style

Zhu, Y.; Jiang, M.; Feng, F.; Xia, D. The Relationship Between Negative Life Events and Aggressive/Prosocial Behavior: A Latent Profile Analysis Based on Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction. Behav. Sci. 2025, 15, 1722. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15121722

AMA Style

Zhu Y, Jiang M, Feng F, Xia D. The Relationship Between Negative Life Events and Aggressive/Prosocial Behavior: A Latent Profile Analysis Based on Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction. Behavioral Sciences. 2025; 15(12):1722. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15121722

Chicago/Turabian Style

Zhu, Yanli, Mengzhu Jiang, Fan Feng, and Defeng Xia. 2025. "The Relationship Between Negative Life Events and Aggressive/Prosocial Behavior: A Latent Profile Analysis Based on Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction" Behavioral Sciences 15, no. 12: 1722. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15121722

APA Style

Zhu, Y., Jiang, M., Feng, F., & Xia, D. (2025). The Relationship Between Negative Life Events and Aggressive/Prosocial Behavior: A Latent Profile Analysis Based on Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction. Behavioral Sciences, 15(12), 1722. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15121722

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The Relationship Between Negative Life Events and Aggressive/Prosocial Behavior: A Latent Profile Analysis Based on Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction

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