Aggression as equity restoration

Equity theory was used to predict the amount of aggression that an individual would emit after being subjected to either positive or negative inequity. Actual and psychological equity restoration techniques were considered. Fifty-four males participated in the experiment. Results indicate that actual equity-restoring techniques were adopted by all participants, with negative inequity resulting in increased levels of aggression and positive inequity resulting in a mixture of responses. In addition, the use of these techniques occurred at different points in time during the aggressive encounter for participants in the two inequity conditions. The effect of prior equity restoration attempts on aggression in later trials was also tested.