The Moderated Effect of Cognitive Emotional Regulation Strategies on the Relationship between State-and Trait-Anxiety and Aggression among Prisoners

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of trait anxiety and state anxiety on aggression among prisoners to understand the differentiated mechanisms of cognitive emotion regulation strategies. To this end, the effects of trait and state anxiety on aggression were analyzed separately, and the moderating effects of adaptive and maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies on their relationships were investigated. Data were collected from 500 inmates at P-prison and analyzed using SPSS 25.0 to explore dual moderation effects. The findings of this study are as follows: First, both state anxiety and trait anxiety emerged as negative emotional factors explaining aggression. Second, among the two types of cognitive emotion regulation strategies, only maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies showed statistically significant moderating effect. Lastly, in the case of state anxiety, higher levels of maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies reduced the impact of anxiety on aggression. However, for trait anxiety, maladaptive strategies increased aggression. This study distinguishes between state and trait anxiety in analyzing their mechanisms affecting aggression, and highlights the differential roles of adaptive and maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies in correctional programs.