The Impact of Negative Life Events on Aggressive Behavior in Vocational College Students: A Moderated Mediation Model

The Impact of Negative Life Events on Aggressive Behavior in Vocational College Students: A Moderated Mediation Model | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article The Impact of Negative Life Events on Aggressive Behavior in Vocational College Students: A Moderated Mediation Model Wentao SUN, Wenguang HE（何文广）, Lingfang KONG, Pingping HOU（侯萍萍）, and 1 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7990587/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract This study explores the impact of negative life events on aggressive behavior in vocational college students, with a focus on the mediating role of interpersonal relationship distress and the moderating role of emotional intelligence. A survey was conducted on 5,503 students from 7 vocational colleges across China, using the Adolescent Life Events Scale, the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire, the Interpersonal Relationship Comprehensive Diagnosis Scale, and the Emotional Intelligence Scale. The results indicate that: (1) negative life events have a significant positive predictive effect on aggressive behavior; (2) interpersonal relationship distress partially mediates the relationship between negative life events and aggressive behavior; (3) emotional intelligence moderates the mediating effect of interpersonal relationship distress on the link between negative life events and aggressive behavior. These findings contribute to understanding the mechanisms underlying aggression in vocational college students and have educational implications for preventing aggressive behavior in this population. Vocational College Students Negative Life Events Emotional Intelligence Interpersonal Relationship Distress Aggressive Behavior Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 1. Introduction Vocational education is closely linked to economic development and plays a crucial role in promoting social progress and cultivating new generations for national rejuvenation. With the continuous development of China's socio-economic landscape, vocational education has entered a new stage of high-quality development. Higher vocational education, in particular, has gained increasing attention from both the state and society. In 2019, the State Council issued the "National Vocational Education Reform Implementation Plan," setting the promotion of "high-quality development of higher vocational education" as a strategic goal. In 2022, the General Office of the Communist Party of China and the State Council issued the "Opinions on Deepening the Reform of the Modern Vocational Education System," introducing a series of new propositions and mechanisms to promote the high-quality development of higher vocational education[ 1 ]. Currently, China has established the world's largest vocational education system[ 2 ]. According to the 2024 National Education Development Statistical Bulletin, 5.6794 million students were enrolled in higher vocational colleges (associate degree programs), a 2.32% increase from the previous year, marking the sixth consecutive year that enrollments in higher vocational education exceeded those in undergraduate programs. The total number of students in higher vocational education reached 17.6466 million, a 3.32% increase, while the number of graduates rose to 5.4043 million, an increase of 24.19%[ 3 ]. Both enrollment and student population in higher vocational education are experiencing geometric growth. Vocational college students are essential technical talent for national development, bearing the future and hope of the country. Although they share the same age group as students in general higher education, differences in academic performance result in distinct psychological characteristics among vocational college students, such as in emotional management, interpersonal relationships, and behavioral traits[ 4 ]. Studies have shown that vocational college students exhibit a higher tendency toward aggressive behavior compared to students in general undergraduate programs[ 5 ]. Aggressive behavior refers to the psychological and behavioral tendencies of individuals intentionally harming others, either directly or indirectly, causing physical and psychological harm to the victims. Research indicates that aggressive behavior has numerous adverse effects on individuals, such as severely impacting their physical and mental health, hindering academic progress, and obstructing personal growth[ 6 ]. Current research on aggression tends to focus on children, adolescents, and undergraduate students[ 7 ], with relatively limited attention given to vocational college students. This study aims to analyze the characteristics of aggressive behavior among vocational college students, in order to enhance their social adaptability and provide insights for fostering positive behavioral development. 1.1 Negative Life Events and Aggressive Behavior Negative life events refer to stressful and challenging experiences that an individual encounters in social life, which threaten their emotional and psychological well-being[ 8 ]. These include academic pressure, interpersonal stress, and other similar stressors[ 9 ]. The frustration-aggression theory suggests that aggressive behavior always occurs as a result of frustration that individuals experience[ 10 ]. When individuals feel that they have lost something that they believe should be rightfully theirs, they may resort to aggression as a way to compensate for their sense of deprivation, achieving immediate satisfaction[ 11 ]. To date, there have been few studies directly examining the relationship between negative life events and aggressive behavior. However, some studies have indirectly demonstrated this relationship. For instance, Wang Xingchao and Shi Haoling (2024) explored the impact of negative life events on adolescents' cyberbullying behavior, examining the mediating role of anger rumination and the moderating role of online disinhibition[ 12 ]. Chen Ming and Yu Wanwan (2023) constructed a mediating model with the belief in a just world as a mediator between negative life events and freshman aggression[ 13 ], exploring the mechanisms of aggression among first-year students. However, there is a lack of research specifically investigating the effect of negative life events on aggressive behavior in vocational college students. Given that the "work-study alternation and school-enterprise cooperation" model in vocational education integrates work experience early on[ 14 ], the negative life events faced by vocational college students are more closely related to "social practice and career preparation." Vocational college students tend to have disadvantages in areas such as academic performance and interpersonal relationships, making them more susceptible to the influence of negative life events, which can lead to negative emotional experiences such as anxiety and depression. If these experiences are not addressed in a timely manner, they may trigger aggressive behavior[ 15 ]. The internal mechanisms underlying the relationship between negative life events and aggressive behavior in vocational college students remain unclear and warrant further exploration. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the potential mediating or moderating effects that may exist in the process through which negative life events influence aggressive behavior in vocational college students. The goal is to answer the questions of "under what conditions" and "through what factors" negative life events significantly influence aggressive behavior in this group. Based on this, Hypothesis 1 is proposed: Negative life events are significantly positively correlated with aggressive behavior. 1.2 The Mediating Role of Interpersonal Relationship Distress Interpersonal relationships are a crucial psychological variable and a potential negative consequence of negative life events[ 16 ]. They may serve as an important link in the pathway through which negative life events contribute to aggressive behavior. Interpersonal relationship distress, as a key indicator in the assessment of interpersonal relationships, refers to the negative experiences individuals encounter in social interactions due to risk factors, often accompanied by feelings of anxiety, loneliness, and depression[ 17 ]. Many vocational college students, due to their relatively lower entrance scores, experience greater doubts about their own abilities and a lack of confidence in social interactions[ 18 ], leading to interpersonal relationship distress. Research has found that negative life events can result in strained interpersonal relationships, causing interpersonal relationship distress[ 19 ]. When individuals face negative life events, family and peer relationships often suffer significantly, and college students who are more affected by life events have a 2.257 times higher risk of experiencing interpersonal relationship distress compared to those less affected by life events[ 20 ]. Interpersonal relationship distress is a predictor of aggressive behavior. Mendez et al. (2017) found that poor relationships between students can lead to aggressive behavior[ 21 ]. Negative peer relationships may exacerbate the occurrence of aggression and increase the risk of adolescents becoming perpetrators of bullying[ 22 ]. Compared to those experiencing interpersonal relationship distress, students with good interpersonal relationships are less likely to exhibit aggressive behaviors[ 23 ]. According to social learning theory, individuals with positive interpersonal relationships typically have a strong social support network and engage in positive interaction patterns. These individuals are more likely to observe and learn emotional regulation strategies and non-aggressive behaviors, thus avoiding aggression[ 24 ]. Therefore, this study proposes Hypothesis 2: Interpersonal relationship distress mediates the relationship between negative life events and aggressive behavior. 1.3 The Moderating Role of Emotional Intelligence Emotional intelligence (EI) refers to the ability to perceive, distinguish, and process one’s own and others' emotions, using emotional awareness to guide individual actions[ 25 ]. Emotional intelligence is not only an adaptive capacity for daily life but also a skill for regulating one’s own and others' emotions[ 26 ]. It includes both the accuracy of emotion recognition and the appropriateness of emotional expression, as well as the effectiveness of emotion regulation[ 27 ]. Research has shown that adolescents with higher emotional intelligence tend to exhibit fewer aggressive behaviors and demonstrate greater resilience in the face of real-life conflict situations[ 28 ]. In campus conflict scenarios, individuals with high emotional intelligence are able to empathize with others’ intentions and avoid conflict escalation through self-regulation of emotions. Their likelihood of exhibiting aggressive behavior is significantly lower than that of individuals with lower emotional intelligence. According to the General Aggression Model (GAM), aggressive behavior is caused by a combination of intrinsic traits and abilities and external environmental stimuli[ 29 ]. The pathway for aggression includes three stages: distal developmental factors (such as biological inheritance, family environment, and personality traits) lay the foundation for behavioral tendencies; proximal internal states (such as physiological arousal, emotional activation, and cognitive appraisal) trigger immediate responses; and individual decision-making ultimately determines the behavior output[ 30 ]. In the case of vocational college students, interpersonal relationship distress arising from daily conflicts, such as misunderstandings or broken trust, can directly trigger negative emotions like anxiety and anger. These emotions may lead to faulty evaluations and judgments, increasing the likelihood of aggressive behavior. Emotional intelligence, however, can disrupt this chain of events through three mechanisms: (1) By improving emotional awareness, emotional intelligence enhances recognition of one’s negative emotions, preventing unconscious emotional dysregulation; (2) By strengthening empathy, it improves the objective understanding of others' behavioral motives, reducing hostile attribution biases[ 31 ]; (3) By utilizing emotional regulation strategies (such as cognitive reappraisal and behavioral diversion), emotional intelligence reduces the intensity and duration of negative emotions, creating psychological space for rational decision-making. Thus, emotional intelligence may serve as an important protective factor against interpersonal relationship distress and aggressive behavior in vocational college students. Based on this, Hypothesis 2 is proposed: Emotional intelligence moderates the relationship between interpersonal relationship distress and aggressive behavior, such that as emotional intelligence increases, the positive predictive effect of interpersonal relationship distress on aggressive behavior will significantly decrease. In summary, there are numerous factors influencing aggressive behavior, which ultimately results from both external environmental factors and internal individual traits. Therefore, this study proposes a moderated mediation model (Figure 1) to examine the impact of negative life events and interpersonal relationship distress on aggressive behavior, and to further explore whether emotional intelligence plays a moderating role. The goal is to provide more targeted empirical research for the psychological health education of vocational college students. 2. Participants and Methods 2.1 Participants This study was approved by the ethics committee of Biomedical Ethics Committee of Qufu Normal University (2025151). This study employed a random cluster sampling method and distributed questionnaires to students from seven vocational colleges in Shandong, Jiangsu, Sichuan, and other provinces. Group-based on-site testing was conducted by class, and the participants were instructed after a briefing session held during evening self-study hours. Participants completed the questionnaires in their respective classes, and the completion time was approximately 20 minutes. After collecting and organizing the data, invalid questionnaires were excluded, such as those with blank responses or random answers, resulting in 5,503 valid responses, yielding an effective response rate of 98%. Among the participants, 2,170 were male (39.4%), and 3,333 were female (60.6%). Additionally, 1,275 were from urban areas (23.2%) and 4,228 were from rural areas (76.8%). In terms of academic disciplines, 2,529 were from the humanities (46%), and 2,974 were from the sciences (54%). 2.2 Instruments 2.2.1 Adolescent Self-Rating Life Events Checklist (ASLEC) The Adolescent Self-Rating Life Events Checklist, developed by Xin Xiuhong et al., was used to assess the frequency and stress intensity of life events experienced by adolescents[ 32 ]. This scale consists of 27 items, covering six dimensions: interpersonal relationships, academic stress, punishment, loss, health adaptation, and others. Each item is scored from 0 to 5, with a total score range of 0 to 13. Higher scores indicate a more significant impact of negative life events on the adolescent's life[ 33 ]. In this study, the Cronbach’s α coefficient of the ASLEC was 0.922, demonstrating good reliability. 2.2.2 Chinese Version of the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ) The Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire, originally developed by Buss and Perry (1992) and revised by Liu Junsheng[ 34 ] (2009), was used to assess aggression in adolescents. The questionnaire includes four dimensions: physical aggression, verbal aggression, anger, and hostility, with a total of 20 items (e.g., “I am more likely than others to get into fights”). The responses are scored on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (“strongly disagree”) to 5 (“strongly agree”), with higher scores indicating more frequent aggressive behaviors. The Cronbach’s α coefficient for the BPAQ in this study was 0.938, indicating good validity and reliability. 2.2.3 Interpersonal Comprehensive Diagnostic Scale (ICDS) The Interpersonal Comprehensive Diagnostic Scale, developed by Zheng Richang, was used to assess various aspects of an individual's interpersonal situation, including communication, friendships, social interactions, and relationships with both the same and opposite sex[ 35 , 36 ]. The scale contains four dimensions and 28 items. Higher total scores indicate worse interpersonal relationships. The scoring ranges from 0-8, indicating minimal or no interpersonal distress, with higher scores representing more significant interpersonal issues. In this study, the Cronbach’s α coefficient of the ICDS was 0.917, showing good reliability and validity. 2.2.4 Emotional Intelligence Scale (EIS) The Emotional Intelligence Scale, translated by Wang Caikang, was used to measure emotional intelligence in this study[ 37 ]. The scale includes 33 items, covering four dimensions: emotion regulation, perception, application, and management of emotions. Responses are scored on a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (“strongly disagree”) to 5 (“strongly agree”), with higher scores indicating higher emotional intelligence. The Cronbach’s α coefficient for the EIS in this study was 0.920, demonstrating good reliability and validity. 2.3 Data Analysis Data analysis was performed using SPSS 26.0. Descriptive statistics and correlation analysis were conducted, and the moderated mediation model was tested using the Process macro in SPSS. Bootstrap analysis was used to examine the mediation and moderation effects. 3. Results 3.1 Common Method Bias To test for common method bias, an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted using Harman’s single-factor method on all items of the four variables. The results revealed that there were 10 factors with eigenvalues greater than 1, and the first common factor explained 24.84% of the total variance (which is < 40%)[ 38 ]. These results suggest that there is no significant common method bias in this study. 3.2 Correlation Matrix of Variables A correlation analysis was conducted on negative life events, interpersonal relationship distress, emotional intelligence, and aggressive behavior. The results showed that negative life events were significantly positively correlated with aggression and interpersonal relationship distress, and significantly negatively correlated with emotional intelligence. Interpersonal relationship distress was significantly negatively correlated with emotional intelligence and significantly positively correlated with aggression. Emotional intelligence was significantly negatively correlated with aggression. The detailed results are shown in Table 1. Table 1 Descriptive Statistics and Correlation Matrix for Variables M±SD 1 2 3 4 Negative Life events 1.33±0.50 1 Interpersonal Relationship Distress 0.17±0.23 0.36 ** 1 Emotional Intelligence 3.64 ± 0.78 -0.12 ** -0.31 ** 1 Aggression 1.53±0.68 0.57 ** 0.41 ** -0.10 ** 1 Note: M denotes mean, SD denotes standard deviation. * P < 0.05, ** P < 0.01 3.3 Moderated Mediation Model Testing According to the moderated mediation model testing procedure[ 39 ], the mediation effect of interpersonal relationship distress between life events and aggressive behavior was first tested using Model 4 of the PROCESS macro in SPSS. The results showed that negative life events significantly predicted interpersonal relationship distress (a = 0.18, p < 0.001). When both negative life events and interpersonal relationship distress were entered into the regression equation, negative life events significantly predicted aggressive behavior (c' = 0.67, p < 0.001), and interpersonal relationship distress also significantly predicted aggressive behavior (b = 0.62, p < 0.001). The bias-corrected percentile bootstrap method confirmed that interpersonal relationship distress partially mediated the relationship between life events and aggressive behavior (a*b = 0.11, BootSE = 0.01, 95% CI = [0.10, 0.14]). The mediation effect accounted for 12% of the total effect. Detailed results are shown in Table 2. Table 2. Testing the mediating model of emotional intelligence Predictor Variable Equation 1: Aggressive Behaviour Equation 2: Interpersonal Distress Equation 3: Aggressive Behaviour β t β t β t Negative life events 0.57 0.02 *** 0.39 0.01 *** 0.49 0.02 *** Interpersonal relationship distress 0.21 0.03 ** R 2 0.33 0.16 0.37 F 2682.6 *** 1016.5 *** 1589.9 *** Note : (*) p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001 The second step involved testing the moderating effect of emotional intelligence on the indirect path (Path b) in the mediation model using Model 14 of the PROCESS macro in SPSS. The results showed that negative life events significantly predicted interpersonal relationship distress, and negative life events significantly predicted aggressive behavior directly. Emotional intelligence also significantly predicted aggressive behavior, and the interaction effect between emotional intelligence and interpersonal relationship distress was significant, indicating that emotional intelligence moderates the indirect path (Path b) in the mediation model. Detailed results are shown in Table 3. Table 3: Moderating Role in the Interpersonal Relationship Mediation Model Variable Interpersonal Relationship Distress Aggressive Behaviour β SE t β SE t Life events 0.18 0.01 31.69 *** 0.58 0.02 37.17 *** Interpersonal relationship distress 1.11 0.04 27.00 *** Emotional Intelligence 0.02 0.01 2.21 ** Emotional Intelligence*Interpersonal Distress 0.65 0.03 20.39 *** R 2 0.15 0.41 F 345.09 649.15 Note: β denotes standardised regression coefficient; SE denotes standard error. ***P < 0.001, **P < 0.05. To further clarify the nature of the moderating effect, emotional intelligence was divided into low and high levels based on M ± 1 SD, and simple slope analysis was conducted (Figure 2). The results showed that for students with low emotional intelligence, interpersonal relationship distress had a strong positive predictive effect on aggressive behavior (b = 0.61, 95% CI = [0.54, 0.67]). However, for students with high emotional intelligence, interpersonal relationship distress had a weaker positive predictive effect on aggressive behavior (b = 1.61, 95% CI = [1.49, 1.72]). In the high emotional intelligence group, the indirect effect of life events on aggressive behavior through interpersonal relationship distress was significant (b = 0.30, 95% CI = [0.26, 0.34]). In the low emotional intelligence group, the indirect effect of life events on aggressive behavior was also significant (b = 0.11, 95% CI = [0.09, 0.13]). Moreover, a significant difference was found in the indirect effects between the high and low emotional intelligence groups, with a difference of 0.19 (95% CI = [0.16, 0.22]). 4. Discussion This study explored two mechanisms—interpersonal relationship distress and emotional intelligence—to explain how negative life events predict aggressive behavior. It enriches the general aggression model and, compared to previous research, better demonstrates the impact, method, and conditions under which negative life events affect aggression in vocational college students. The results show that for vocational college students, negative life events can directly influence aggressive behavior, as well as affect it through an indirect path. The higher the level of emotional intelligence, the weaker the predictive effect of interpersonal relationship distress on aggressive behavior. 4.1 The Impact of Negative Life Events on Aggressive Behavior The study results show that negative life events positively predict aggression in vocational students, confirming Hypothesis 1, which is also consistent with previous research[ 40 ]. Specifically, as individuals experience more negative life events, the negative impact becomes more severe, leading to higher levels of aggression. The negative life events faced by vocational students have distinct vocational attributes, and as a "source of frustration," they activate an individual's aggressive drive, with aggression becoming a direct way to release negative emotions. This aligns with the research by Wang Xingchao and Shi Haoling (2024) on adolescent cyberbullying. It is important to note that the negative life events faced by vocational students are more career-oriented, making them more likely to trigger aggression directed at peers or in the workplace. According to the general aggression model, the emergence of aggressive behavior is determined by both internal individual variables and external situational variables[ 41 ]. The positive correlation between negative life events and aggression is essentially a manifestation and career extension of the frustration-aggression theory within the vocational student group. The academic pressures, internship setbacks, and employment anxiety faced by vocational students are more aligned with "career preparation and practice," which could lead to a series of aggressive behaviors. Xie Lingping et al. (2022) pointed out that negative life events can directly and indirectly predict university students' aggression[ 42 ]. The results of this study on vocational students are consistent with those found in general undergraduate students. Therefore, the more negative life events an individual experiences, the more likely they are to exhibit aggressive behavior. 4.2 The Mediating Role of Interpersonal Relationship Distress This study examined the mediating effect of interpersonal relationship distress between negative life events and aggressive behavior. The results indicate that interpersonal relationship distress partially mediates the relationship between negative life events and aggression, validating Hypothesis 2. When vocational students face negative life events, their emotional states and cognitive patterns are easily altered. In social interactions, they may become more cautious, sensitive, impulsive, and prone to anger, making it difficult for them to maintain good interpersonal relationships. As a result, they may fall into interpersonal relationship distress, ultimately leading to strained relationships. Individuals who remain in a state of interpersonal distress for a prolonged period may further exacerbate their psychological stress and negative emotions, becoming more likely to engage in aggressive behavior as a coping mechanism. Hirschi’s social bond theory suggests that individuals with stronger social bonds are less likely to engage in aggressive behavior[ 43 ]. The partial mediating effect reveals the pathway "negative life events → interpersonal interaction breakdown → aggressive behavior," which aligns with the core hypothesis of social relationship theory—that adaptation issues essentially manifest as imbalances in the interpersonal system. Specifically, negative life events disrupt vocational students’ interpersonal interaction patterns, potentially decreasing trust among peers. Conflicts during internships may exacerbate misunderstandings, all of which transform into interpersonal relationship distress. This distress further triggers defensive aggression, with aggression becoming a natural response to restore interpersonal control[ 44 ]. Compared to general university students, ruminative thinking and loneliness play a prominent mediating role between negative life events and aggressive behavior[ 45 ]. Interpersonal relationships mediate the relationship between negative life events and aggressive behavior in vocational students. Due to the "work-study alternation, school-enterprise cooperation" model of vocational education, vocational students engage in more social practice and internships, where "interpersonal interactions" take precedence over cognitive factors, making them a higher priority for intervention. This finding extends the boundaries of previous research and adds specificity to the vocational student population. Additionally, this result connects the common mechanisms of internalized and externalized problems. Zhang Yue et al. (2023) found that interpersonal relationship distress in vocational students is positively correlated with depression[ 46 ]. This study further confirms that interpersonal distress is also an important precursor to externalized aggressive behavior, suggesting that "imbalanced interpersonal interactions" are a shared risk pathway for vocational students' internalized depression and externalized behavioral problems. 4.3 The Moderating Role of Emotional Intelligence This study found that emotional intelligence moderates the second path in the mediation model, namely "interpersonal relationship distress → aggressive behavior," confirming Hypothesis 3. These results are consistent with emotional intelligence theory[ 47 ]. Emotional intelligence helps individuals recognize, understand, and regulate negative emotions triggered by interpersonal distress, thus preventing impulsive aggression[ 48 ]. This study reverses previous conclusions that emotional intelligence serves as a protective factor against aggressive behavior. Particularly for vocational students, the unique talent development model leads to most of their interpersonal distress being related to "role conflicts in career scenarios." The ambiguity of these distressors exacerbates emotional fluctuations. Simple slope analysis showed that as emotional intelligence levels increase, the positive predictive effect of interpersonal relationship distress on aggressive behavior significantly weakens. This finding aligns with Zhao Liming et al. (2025), who concluded that individuals with higher emotional intelligence are better able to cope with negative emotions, reduce impulsive behaviors, and thus lower the likelihood of aggressive behavior. When facing interpersonal distress, they are able to reinterpret conflicts from a positive perspective, reduce negative attributions, and avoid aggression. Vocational education emphasizes "learning by doing," with students' emotional intelligence more focused on "emotion regulation in specific scenarios." However, due to the tendency to "emphasize skills over psychology" in vocational training, there are individual differences in the deeper abilities of "emotional understanding and management." When vocational students encounter "interpersonal misunderstandings" during internships, individuals with low emotional intelligence may interpret "colleague feedback" as intentional targeting, thus triggering aggression. In contrast, individuals with high emotional intelligence can use "alternative coping strategies" to avoid conflict escalation. 5. Conclusion This study constructs and verifies the mediating model of "negative life events → interpersonal relationship distress → aggressive behavior" and finds that emotional intelligence significantly moderates the path between interpersonal relationship distress and aggression. As emotional intelligence levels increase, the positive predictive effect of interpersonal relationship distress on aggression significantly weakens. This result not only echoes the classic framework of stress and adaptation but also precisely matches the characteristics of vocational students, who are "career-oriented and work-study integrated." The findings provide a fresh perspective on understanding the mechanisms behind aggressive behavior in vocational college students and offer empirical insights for intervention strategies. Declarations Ethics approval and consent to participate All methods were carried out in accordance with relevant guidelines and regulations.The studies involving human participants were reviewed and approved by QingDao technical college. Each participant provided informed consent and was fully aware of the study details before participating in the survey. Consent for publication Not applicable. Data availability The datasets used and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request. Competing interests The authors declare no competing interests. Funding This work was supported by the Ministry of Education's Humanities and Social Sciences Research Special Task Project (Research on College Counselors) under Grant No. 22JDSZ3045. Author contributions Wentao Sun and Wenguang He is responsible for the design of ideas and the interpretation of results. Lingfang Kong is responsible for data collection and analysis. 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Journal of Southwest University (Natural Science Edition), 2015, 37 (12): 122-127. Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7990587","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":546878864,"identity":"de5283bf-b0a2-4bfa-999e-5eca739839b0","order_by":0,"name":"Wentao SUN","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Qingdao Technical College","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Wentao","middleName":"","lastName":"SUN","suffix":""},{"id":546878865,"identity":"24922141-52a9-44c1-b6e1-842781b92f94","order_by":1,"name":"Wenguang 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19:31:51","extension":"html","order_by":14,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":79449,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"earlyproof.html","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7990587/v1/ab941b9c30cde18584749a68.html"},{"id":96322174,"identity":"1317c8b6-9e80-470f-b660-f5efa4d2db6f","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-19 19:31:50","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":24669,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eBasic Research Hypotheses\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7990587/v1/e6a969d35c279c8c79299e0e.png"},{"id":96322173,"identity":"15434e20-ee05-4a5f-aedb-b979002a8c47","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-19 19:31:50","extension":"png","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":64746,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eThe Moderating Role of Emotional Intelligence Between Interpersonal Distress and Aggressive Behavior\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7990587/v1/2f98fead44950b18e713b64c.png"},{"id":96455351,"identity":"8b9fb4a9-912f-4cce-8094-547bd304092b","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-21 10:04:00","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":837208,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7990587/v1/40ef85ad-623f-4faf-a372-4f8db54d1046.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"The Impact of Negative Life Events on Aggressive Behavior in Vocational College Students: A Moderated Mediation Model","fulltext":[{"header":"1. Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eVocational education is closely linked to economic development and plays a crucial role in promoting social progress and cultivating new generations for national rejuvenation. With the continuous development of China\u0026apos;s socio-economic landscape, vocational education has entered a new stage of high-quality development. Higher vocational education, in particular, has gained increasing attention from both the state and society. In 2019, the State Council issued the \u0026quot;National Vocational Education Reform Implementation Plan,\u0026quot; setting the promotion of \u0026quot;high-quality development of higher vocational education\u0026quot; as a strategic goal. In 2022, the General Office of the Communist Party of China and the State Council issued the \u0026quot;Opinions on Deepening the Reform of the Modern Vocational Education System,\u0026quot; introducing a series of new propositions and mechanisms to promote the high-quality development of higher vocational education[\u003csup\u003e1\u003c/sup\u003e]. Currently, China has established the world\u0026apos;s largest vocational education system[\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e]. According to the 2024 National Education Development Statistical Bulletin, 5.6794 million students were enrolled in higher vocational colleges (associate degree programs), a 2.32% increase from the previous year, marking the sixth consecutive year that enrollments in higher vocational education exceeded those in undergraduate programs. The total number of students in higher vocational education reached 17.6466 million, a 3.32% increase, while the number of graduates rose to 5.4043 million, an increase of 24.19%[\u003csup\u003e3\u003c/sup\u003e]. Both enrollment and student population in higher vocational education are experiencing geometric growth. Vocational college students are essential technical talent for national development, bearing the future and hope of the country. Although they share the same age group as students in general higher education, differences in academic performance result in distinct psychological characteristics among vocational college students, such as in emotional management, interpersonal relationships, and behavioral traits[\u003csup\u003e4\u003c/sup\u003e]. Studies have shown that vocational college students exhibit a higher tendency toward aggressive behavior compared to students in general undergraduate programs[\u003csup\u003e5\u003c/sup\u003e]. Aggressive behavior refers to the psychological and behavioral tendencies of individuals intentionally harming others, either directly or indirectly, causing physical and psychological harm to the victims. Research indicates that aggressive behavior has numerous adverse effects on individuals, such as severely impacting their physical and mental health, hindering academic progress, and obstructing personal growth[\u003csup\u003e6\u003c/sup\u003e]. Current research on aggression tends to focus on children, adolescents, and undergraduate students[\u003csup\u003e7\u003c/sup\u003e], with relatively limited attention given to vocational college students. This study aims to analyze the characteristics of aggressive behavior among vocational college students, in order to enhance their social adaptability and provide insights for fostering positive behavioral development.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e1.1 Negative Life Events and Aggressive Behavior\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNegative life events refer to stressful and challenging experiences that an individual encounters in social life, which threaten their emotional and psychological well-being[\u003csup\u003e8\u003c/sup\u003e]. These include academic pressure, interpersonal stress, and other similar stressors[\u003csup\u003e9\u003c/sup\u003e]. The frustration-aggression theory suggests that aggressive behavior always occurs as a result of frustration that individuals experience[\u003csup\u003e10\u003c/sup\u003e]. When individuals feel that they have lost something that they believe should be rightfully theirs, they may resort to aggression as a way to compensate for their sense of deprivation, achieving immediate satisfaction[\u003csup\u003e11\u003c/sup\u003e]. To date, there have been few studies directly examining the relationship between negative life events and aggressive behavior. However, some studies have indirectly demonstrated this relationship. For instance, Wang Xingchao and Shi Haoling (2024) explored the impact of negative life events on adolescents\u0026apos; cyberbullying behavior, examining the mediating role of anger rumination and the moderating role of online disinhibition[\u003csup\u003e12\u003c/sup\u003e]. Chen Ming and Yu Wanwan (2023) constructed a mediating model with the belief in a just world as a mediator between negative life events and freshman aggression[\u003csup\u003e13\u003c/sup\u003e], exploring the mechanisms of aggression among first-year students. However, there is a lack of research specifically investigating the effect of negative life events on aggressive behavior in vocational college students. Given that the \u0026quot;work-study alternation and school-enterprise cooperation\u0026quot; model in vocational education integrates work experience early on[\u003csup\u003e14\u003c/sup\u003e], the negative life events faced by vocational college students are more closely related to \u0026quot;social practice and career preparation.\u0026quot; Vocational college students tend to have disadvantages in areas such as academic performance and interpersonal relationships, making them more susceptible to the influence of negative life events, which can lead to negative emotional experiences such as anxiety and depression. If these experiences are not addressed in a timely manner, they may trigger aggressive behavior[\u003csup\u003e15\u003c/sup\u003e]. The internal mechanisms underlying the relationship between negative life events and aggressive behavior in vocational college students remain unclear and warrant further exploration. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the potential mediating or moderating effects that may exist in the process through which negative life events influence aggressive behavior in vocational college students. The goal is to answer the questions of \u0026quot;under what conditions\u0026quot; and \u0026quot;through what factors\u0026quot; negative life events significantly influence aggressive behavior in this group. Based on this, Hypothesis 1 is proposed: Negative life events are significantly positively correlated with aggressive behavior.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e1.2 The Mediating Role of Interpersonal Relationship Distress\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInterpersonal relationships are a crucial psychological variable and a potential negative consequence of negative life events[\u003csup\u003e16\u003c/sup\u003e]. They may serve as an important link in the pathway through which negative life events contribute to aggressive behavior. Interpersonal relationship distress, as a key indicator in the assessment of interpersonal relationships, refers to the negative experiences individuals encounter in social interactions due to risk factors, often accompanied by feelings of anxiety, loneliness, and depression[\u003csup\u003e17\u003c/sup\u003e]. Many vocational college students, due to their relatively lower entrance scores, experience greater doubts about their own abilities and a lack of confidence in social interactions[\u003csup\u003e18\u003c/sup\u003e], leading to interpersonal relationship distress. Research has found that negative life events can result in strained interpersonal relationships, causing interpersonal relationship distress[\u003csup\u003e19\u003c/sup\u003e]. When individuals face negative life events, family and peer relationships often suffer significantly, and college students who are more affected by life events have a 2.257 times higher risk of experiencing interpersonal relationship distress compared to those less affected by life events[\u003csup\u003e20\u003c/sup\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInterpersonal relationship distress is a predictor of aggressive behavior. Mendez et al. (2017) found that poor relationships between students can lead to aggressive behavior[\u003csup\u003e21\u003c/sup\u003e]. Negative peer relationships may exacerbate the occurrence of aggression and increase the risk of adolescents becoming perpetrators of bullying[\u003csup\u003e22\u003c/sup\u003e]. Compared to those experiencing interpersonal relationship distress, students with good interpersonal relationships are less likely to exhibit aggressive behaviors[\u003csup\u003e23\u003c/sup\u003e]. According to social learning theory, individuals with positive interpersonal relationships typically have a strong social support network and engage in positive interaction patterns. These individuals are more likely to observe and learn emotional regulation strategies and non-aggressive behaviors, thus avoiding aggression[\u003csup\u003e24\u003c/sup\u003e]. Therefore, this study proposes Hypothesis 2: Interpersonal relationship distress mediates the relationship between negative life events and aggressive behavior.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e1.3 The Moderating Role of Emotional Intelligence\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEmotional intelligence (EI) refers to the ability to perceive, distinguish, and process one\u0026rsquo;s own and others\u0026apos; emotions, using emotional awareness to guide individual actions[\u003csup\u003e25\u003c/sup\u003e]. Emotional intelligence is not only an adaptive capacity for daily life but also a skill for regulating one\u0026rsquo;s own and others\u0026apos; emotions[\u003csup\u003e26\u003c/sup\u003e]. It includes both the accuracy of emotion recognition and the appropriateness of emotional expression, as well as the effectiveness of emotion regulation[\u003csup\u003e27\u003c/sup\u003e]. Research has shown that adolescents with higher emotional intelligence tend to exhibit fewer aggressive behaviors and demonstrate greater resilience in the face of real-life conflict situations[\u003csup\u003e28\u003c/sup\u003e]. In campus conflict scenarios, individuals with high emotional intelligence are able to empathize with others\u0026rsquo; intentions and avoid conflict escalation through self-regulation of emotions. Their likelihood of exhibiting aggressive behavior is significantly lower than that of individuals with lower emotional intelligence.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAccording to the General Aggression Model (GAM), aggressive behavior is caused by a combination of intrinsic traits and abilities and external environmental stimuli[\u003csup\u003e29\u003c/sup\u003e]. The pathway for aggression includes three stages: distal developmental factors (such as biological inheritance, family environment, and personality traits) lay the foundation for behavioral tendencies; proximal internal states (such as physiological arousal, emotional activation, and cognitive appraisal) trigger immediate responses; and individual decision-making ultimately determines the behavior output[\u003csup\u003e30\u003c/sup\u003e]. In the case of vocational college students, interpersonal relationship distress arising from daily conflicts, such as misunderstandings or broken trust, can directly trigger negative emotions like anxiety and anger. These emotions may lead to faulty evaluations and judgments, increasing the likelihood of aggressive behavior. Emotional intelligence, however, can disrupt this chain of events through three mechanisms: (1) By improving emotional awareness, emotional intelligence enhances recognition of one\u0026rsquo;s negative emotions, preventing unconscious emotional dysregulation; (2) By strengthening empathy, it improves the objective understanding of others\u0026apos; behavioral motives, reducing hostile attribution biases[\u003csup\u003e31\u003c/sup\u003e]; (3) By utilizing emotional regulation strategies (such as cognitive reappraisal and behavioral diversion), emotional intelligence reduces the intensity and duration of negative emotions, creating psychological space for rational decision-making.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThus, emotional intelligence may serve as an important protective factor against interpersonal relationship distress and aggressive behavior in vocational college students. Based on this, Hypothesis 2 is proposed: Emotional intelligence moderates the relationship between interpersonal relationship distress and aggressive behavior, such that as emotional intelligence increases, the positive predictive effect of interpersonal relationship distress on aggressive behavior will significantly decrease.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn summary, there are numerous factors influencing aggressive behavior, which ultimately results from both external environmental factors and internal individual traits. Therefore, this study proposes a moderated mediation model (Figure 1) to examine the impact of negative life events and interpersonal relationship distress on aggressive behavior, and to further explore whether emotional intelligence plays a moderating role. The goal is to provide more targeted empirical research for the psychological health education of vocational college students.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"2. Participants and Methods","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2.1\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eParticipants\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis study was approved by the ethics committee of Biomedical Ethics Committee of Qufu Normal University (2025151). This study employed a random cluster sampling method and distributed questionnaires to students from seven vocational colleges in Shandong, Jiangsu, Sichuan, and other provinces. Group-based on-site testing was conducted by class, and the participants were instructed after a briefing session held during evening self-study hours. Participants completed the questionnaires in their respective classes, and the completion time was approximately 20 minutes. After collecting and organizing the data, invalid questionnaires were excluded, such as those with blank responses or random answers, resulting in 5,503 valid responses, yielding an effective response rate of 98%. Among the participants, 2,170 were male (39.4%), and 3,333 were female (60.6%). Additionally, 1,275 were from urban areas (23.2%) and 4,228 were from rural areas (76.8%). In terms of academic disciplines, 2,529 were from the humanities (46%), and 2,974 were from the sciences (54%).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2.2 Instruments\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2.2.1 Adolescent Self-Rating Life Events Checklist (ASLEC)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Adolescent Self-Rating Life Events Checklist, developed by Xin Xiuhong et al., was used to assess the frequency and stress intensity of life events experienced by adolescents[\u003csup\u003e32\u003c/sup\u003e]. This scale consists of 27 items, covering six dimensions: interpersonal relationships, academic stress, punishment, loss, health adaptation, and others. Each item is scored from 0 to 5, with a total score range of 0 to 13. Higher scores indicate a more significant impact of negative life events on the adolescent\u0026apos;s life[\u003csup\u003e33\u003c/sup\u003e]. In this study, the Cronbach\u0026rsquo;s \u0026alpha; coefficient of the ASLEC was 0.922, demonstrating good reliability.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2.2.2 Chinese Version of the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire, originally developed by Buss and Perry (1992) and revised by Liu Junsheng[\u003csup\u003e34\u003c/sup\u003e] (2009), was used to assess aggression in adolescents. The questionnaire includes four dimensions: physical aggression, verbal aggression, anger, and hostility, with a total of 20 items (e.g., \u0026ldquo;I am more likely than others to get into fights\u0026rdquo;). The responses are scored on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (\u0026ldquo;strongly disagree\u0026rdquo;) to 5 (\u0026ldquo;strongly agree\u0026rdquo;), with higher scores indicating more frequent aggressive behaviors. The Cronbach\u0026rsquo;s \u0026alpha; coefficient for the BPAQ in this study was 0.938, indicating good validity and reliability.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2.2.3 Interpersonal Comprehensive Diagnostic Scale (ICDS)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Interpersonal Comprehensive Diagnostic Scale, developed by Zheng Richang, was used to assess various aspects of an individual\u0026apos;s interpersonal situation, including communication, friendships, social interactions, and relationships with both the same and opposite sex[\u003csup\u003e35\u003c/sup\u003e,\u003csup\u003e36\u003c/sup\u003e]. The scale contains four dimensions and 28 items. Higher total scores indicate worse interpersonal relationships. The scoring ranges from 0-8, indicating minimal or no interpersonal distress, with higher scores representing more significant interpersonal issues. In this study, the Cronbach\u0026rsquo;s \u0026alpha; coefficient of the ICDS was 0.917, showing good reliability and validity.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2.2.4 Emotional Intelligence Scale (EIS)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Emotional Intelligence Scale, translated by Wang Caikang, was used to measure emotional intelligence in this study[\u003csup\u003e37\u003c/sup\u003e]. The scale includes 33 items, covering four dimensions: emotion regulation, perception, application, and management of emotions. Responses are scored on a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (\u0026ldquo;strongly disagree\u0026rdquo;) to 5 (\u0026ldquo;strongly agree\u0026rdquo;), with higher scores indicating higher emotional intelligence. The Cronbach\u0026rsquo;s \u0026alpha; coefficient for the EIS in this study was 0.920, demonstrating good reliability and validity.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2.3 Data Analysis\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eData analysis was performed using SPSS 26.0. Descriptive statistics and correlation analysis were conducted, and the moderated mediation model was tested using the Process macro in SPSS. Bootstrap analysis was used to examine the mediation and moderation effects.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"3. Results","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e3.1 Common Method Bias\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo test for common method bias, an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted using Harman\u0026rsquo;s single-factor method on all items of the four variables. The results revealed that there were 10 factors with eigenvalues greater than 1, and the first common factor explained 24.84% of the total variance (which is \u0026lt; 40%)[\u003csup\u003e38\u003c/sup\u003e]. These results suggest that there is no significant common method bias in this study.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e3.2 Correlation Matrix of Variables\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA correlation analysis was conducted on negative life events, interpersonal relationship distress, emotional intelligence, and aggressive behavior. The results showed that negative life events were significantly positively correlated with aggression and interpersonal relationship distress, and significantly negatively correlated with emotional intelligence. Interpersonal relationship distress was significantly negatively correlated with emotional intelligence and significantly positively correlated with aggression. Emotional intelligence was significantly negatively correlated with aggression. The detailed results are shown in Table 1.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;Table 1 Descriptive Statistics and Correlation Matrix for Variables\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 14.6127%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 22.3592%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;M\u0026plusmn;SD\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15.8451%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 13.7324%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;2\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 16.9014%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;3\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 16.5493%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 14.6127%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;Negative\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;Life events\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 22.3592%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;1.33\u0026plusmn;0.50\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15.8451%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13.7324%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16.9014%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16.5493%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 14.6127%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;Interpersonal Relationship Distress\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 22.3592%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;0.17\u0026plusmn;0.23\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15.8451%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;0.36\u003csup\u003e**\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13.7324%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16.9014%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16.5493%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 14.6127%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;Emotional Intelligence\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 22.3592%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.64 \u0026plusmn; 0.78\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15.8451%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;-0.12\u003csup\u003e**\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13.7324%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;-0.31\u003csup\u003e**\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16.9014%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16.5493%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 14.6127%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;Aggression\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 22.3592%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;1.53\u0026plusmn;0.68\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 15.8451%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;0.57\u003csup\u003e**\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 13.7324%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;0.41\u003csup\u003e**\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16.9014%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;-0.10\u003csup\u003e**\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 16.5493%;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;Note: \u003cem\u003eM\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003edenotes mean, \u003cem\u003eSD\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003edenotes standard deviation. \u003csup\u003e*\u003c/sup\u003eP \u0026lt; 0.05, \u003csup\u003e**\u003c/sup\u003eP \u0026lt; 0.01\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e3.3 Moderated Mediation Model Testing\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAccording to the moderated mediation model testing procedure[\u003csup\u003e39\u003c/sup\u003e], the mediation effect of interpersonal relationship distress between life events and aggressive behavior was first tested using Model 4 of the PROCESS macro in SPSS. The results showed that negative life events significantly predicted interpersonal relationship distress (a = 0.18, p \u0026lt; 0.001). When both negative life events and interpersonal relationship distress were entered into the regression equation, negative life events significantly predicted aggressive behavior (c\u0026apos; = 0.67, p \u0026lt; 0.001), and interpersonal relationship distress also significantly predicted aggressive behavior (b = 0.62, p \u0026lt; 0.001). The bias-corrected percentile bootstrap method confirmed that interpersonal relationship distress partially mediated the relationship between life events and aggressive behavior (a*b = 0.11, BootSE = 0.01, 95% CI = [0.10, 0.14]). The mediation effect accounted for 12% of the total effect. Detailed results are shown in Table 2.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;Table 2. Testing the mediating model of emotional intelligence\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 81px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;Predictor\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;Variable\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 152px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;Equation 1: Aggressive Behaviour\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 172px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;Equation 2: Interpersonal Distress\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 162px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;Equation 3: Aggressive Behaviour\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 81px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u0026beta;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 71px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;t\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 91px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u0026beta;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 81px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;t\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 81px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u0026beta;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 81px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;t\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 81px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;Negative life events\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 81px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;0.57\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 71px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;0.02\u003csup\u003e***\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 91px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;0.39\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 81px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;0.01\u003csup\u003e***\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 81px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;0.49\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 81px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;0.02\u003csup\u003e***\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 81px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;Interpersonal relationship distress\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 81px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 71px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 91px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 81px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 81px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;0.21\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 81px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;0.03\u003csup\u003e**\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 81px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;R\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 152px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;0.33\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 172px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;0.16\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 162px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;0.37\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 81px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;F\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 152px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;2682.6\u003csup\u003e***\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 172px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;1016.5\u003csup\u003e***\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"2\" valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 162px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;1589.9\u003csup\u003e***\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;Note\u003csup\u003e: (*)\u003c/sup\u003ep \u0026lt; 0.05, \u003csup\u003e**\u003c/sup\u003ep \u0026lt; 0.01, \u003csup\u003e***\u003c/sup\u003ep \u0026lt; 0.001\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe second step involved testing the moderating effect of emotional intelligence on the indirect path (Path b) in the mediation model using Model 14 of the PROCESS macro in SPSS. The results showed that negative life events significantly predicted interpersonal relationship distress, and negative life events significantly predicted aggressive behavior directly. Emotional intelligence also significantly predicted aggressive behavior, and the interaction effect between emotional intelligence and interpersonal relationship distress was significant, indicating that emotional intelligence moderates the indirect path (Path b) in the mediation model. Detailed results are shown in Table 3.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;Table 3: Moderating Role in the Interpersonal Relationship Mediation Model\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd rowspan=\"2\" style=\"width: 116px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;Variable\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"3\" style=\"width: 224px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;Interpersonal Relationship Distress\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"3\" style=\"width: 228px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;Aggressive Behaviour\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 73px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u0026beta;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 70px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;SE\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 81px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;t\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 76px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u0026beta;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 68px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;SE\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 84px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;t\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 116px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;Life events\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 73px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;0.18\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 70px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;0.01\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 81px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;31.69\u003csup\u003e***\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 76px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;0.58\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 68px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;0.02\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 84px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;37.17\u003csup\u003e***\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 116px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;Interpersonal relationship distress\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 73px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 70px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 81px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 76px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;1.11\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 68px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;0.04\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 84px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;27.00\u003csup\u003e***\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 116px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;Emotional Intelligence\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 73px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 70px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 81px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 76px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;0.02\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 68px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;0.01\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 84px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;2.21\u003csup\u003e**\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 116px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;Emotional Intelligence*Interpersonal Distress\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 73px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 70px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 81px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 76px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;0.65\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 68px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;0.03\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 84px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;20.39\u003csup\u003e***\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 116px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;R\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"3\" style=\"width: 224px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;0.15\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"3\" style=\"width: 228px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;0.41\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 116px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;F\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"3\" style=\"width: 224px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;345.09\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd colspan=\"3\" style=\"width: 228px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;649.15\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;Note: \u0026beta; denotes standardised regression coefficient; SE denotes standard error. ***P \u0026lt; 0.001, **P \u0026lt; 0.05.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo further clarify the nature of the moderating effect, emotional intelligence was divided into low and high levels based on M \u0026plusmn; 1 SD, and simple slope analysis was conducted (Figure 2). The results showed that for students with low emotional intelligence, interpersonal relationship distress had a strong positive predictive effect on aggressive behavior (b = 0.61, 95% CI = [0.54, 0.67]). However, for students with high emotional intelligence, interpersonal relationship distress had a weaker positive predictive effect on aggressive behavior (b = 1.61, 95% CI = [1.49, 1.72]).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the high emotional intelligence group, the indirect effect of life events on aggressive behavior through interpersonal relationship distress was significant (b = 0.30, 95% CI = [0.26, 0.34]). In the low emotional intelligence group, the indirect effect of life events on aggressive behavior was also significant (b = 0.11, 95% CI = [0.09, 0.13]). Moreover, a significant difference was found in the indirect effects between the high and low emotional intelligence groups, with a difference of 0.19 (95% CI = [0.16, 0.22]).\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"4. Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study explored two mechanisms\u0026mdash;interpersonal relationship distress and emotional intelligence\u0026mdash;to explain how negative life events predict aggressive behavior. It enriches the general aggression model and, compared to previous research, better demonstrates the impact, method, and conditions under which negative life events affect aggression in vocational college students. The results show that for vocational college students, negative life events can directly influence aggressive behavior, as well as affect it through an indirect path. The higher the level of emotional intelligence, the weaker the predictive effect of interpersonal relationship distress on aggressive behavior.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003e4.1 The Impact of Negative Life Events on Aggressive Behavior\u003c/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe study results show that negative life events positively predict aggression in vocational students, confirming Hypothesis 1, which is also consistent with previous research[\u003csup\u003e40\u003c/sup\u003e]. Specifically, as individuals experience more negative life events, the negative impact becomes more severe, leading to higher levels of aggression. The negative life events faced by vocational students have distinct vocational attributes, and as a \u0026quot;source of frustration,\u0026quot; they activate an individual\u0026apos;s aggressive drive, with aggression becoming a direct way to release negative emotions. This aligns with the research by Wang Xingchao and Shi Haoling (2024) on adolescent cyberbullying. It is important to note that the negative life events faced by vocational students are more career-oriented, making them more likely to trigger aggression directed at peers or in the workplace. According to the general aggression model, the emergence of aggressive behavior is determined by both internal individual variables and external situational variables[\u003csup\u003e41\u003c/sup\u003e]. The positive correlation between negative life events and aggression is essentially a manifestation and career extension of the frustration-aggression theory within the vocational student group. The academic pressures, internship setbacks, and employment anxiety faced by vocational students are more aligned with \u0026quot;career preparation and practice,\u0026quot; which could lead to a series of aggressive behaviors. Xie Lingping et al. (2022) pointed out that negative life events can directly and indirectly predict university students\u0026apos; aggression[\u003csup\u003e42\u003c/sup\u003e]. The results of this study on vocational students are consistent with those found in general undergraduate students. Therefore, the more negative life events an individual experiences, the more likely they are to exhibit aggressive behavior.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003e4.2 The Mediating Role of Interpersonal Relationship Distress\u003c/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis study examined the mediating effect of interpersonal relationship distress between negative life events and aggressive behavior. The results indicate that interpersonal relationship distress partially mediates the relationship between negative life events and aggression, validating Hypothesis 2. When vocational students face negative life events, their emotional states and cognitive patterns are easily altered. In social interactions, they may become more cautious, sensitive, impulsive, and prone to anger, making it difficult for them to maintain good interpersonal relationships. As a result, they may fall into interpersonal relationship distress, ultimately leading to strained relationships. Individuals who remain in a state of interpersonal distress for a prolonged period may further exacerbate their psychological stress and negative emotions, becoming more likely to engage in aggressive behavior as a coping mechanism. Hirschi\u0026rsquo;s social bond theory suggests that individuals with stronger social bonds are less likely to engage in aggressive behavior[\u003csup\u003e43\u003c/sup\u003e]. The partial mediating effect reveals the pathway \u0026quot;negative life events \u0026rarr; interpersonal interaction breakdown \u0026rarr; aggressive behavior,\u0026quot; which aligns with the core hypothesis of social relationship theory\u0026mdash;that adaptation issues essentially manifest as imbalances in the interpersonal system. Specifically, negative life events disrupt vocational students\u0026rsquo; interpersonal interaction patterns, potentially decreasing trust among peers. Conflicts during internships may exacerbate misunderstandings, all of which transform into interpersonal relationship distress. This distress further triggers defensive aggression, with aggression becoming a natural response to restore interpersonal control[\u003csup\u003e44\u003c/sup\u003e]. Compared to general university students, ruminative thinking and loneliness play a prominent mediating role between negative life events and aggressive behavior[\u003csup\u003e45\u003c/sup\u003e]. Interpersonal relationships mediate the relationship between negative life events and aggressive behavior in vocational students. Due to the \u0026quot;work-study alternation, school-enterprise cooperation\u0026quot; model of vocational education, vocational students engage in more social practice and internships, where \u0026quot;interpersonal interactions\u0026quot; take precedence over cognitive factors, making them a higher priority for intervention. This finding extends the boundaries of previous research and adds specificity to the vocational student population. Additionally, this result connects the common mechanisms of internalized and externalized problems. Zhang Yue et al. (2023) found that interpersonal relationship distress in vocational students is positively correlated with depression[\u003csup\u003e46\u003c/sup\u003e]. This study further confirms that interpersonal distress is also an important precursor to externalized aggressive behavior, suggesting that \u0026quot;imbalanced interpersonal interactions\u0026quot; are a shared risk pathway for vocational students\u0026apos; internalized depression and externalized behavioral problems.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003e4.3 The Moderating Role of Emotional Intelligence\u003c/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis study found that emotional intelligence moderates the second path in the mediation model, namely \u0026quot;interpersonal relationship distress \u0026rarr; aggressive behavior,\u0026quot; confirming Hypothesis 3. These results are consistent with emotional intelligence theory[\u003csup\u003e47\u003c/sup\u003e]. Emotional intelligence helps individuals recognize, understand, and regulate negative emotions triggered by interpersonal distress, thus preventing impulsive aggression[\u003csup\u003e48\u003c/sup\u003e]. This study reverses previous conclusions that emotional intelligence serves as a protective factor against aggressive behavior. Particularly for vocational students, the unique talent development model leads to most of their interpersonal distress being related to \u0026quot;role conflicts in career scenarios.\u0026quot; The ambiguity of these distressors exacerbates emotional fluctuations. Simple slope analysis showed that as emotional intelligence levels increase, the positive predictive effect of interpersonal relationship distress on aggressive behavior significantly weakens. This finding aligns with Zhao Liming et al. (2025), who concluded that individuals with higher emotional intelligence are better able to cope with negative emotions, reduce impulsive behaviors, and thus lower the likelihood of aggressive behavior. When facing interpersonal distress, they are able to reinterpret conflicts from a positive perspective, reduce negative attributions, and avoid aggression. Vocational education emphasizes \u0026quot;learning by doing,\u0026quot; with students\u0026apos; emotional intelligence more focused on \u0026quot;emotion regulation in specific scenarios.\u0026quot; However, due to the tendency to \u0026quot;emphasize skills over psychology\u0026quot; in vocational training, there are individual differences in the deeper abilities of \u0026quot;emotional understanding and management.\u0026quot; When vocational students encounter \u0026quot;interpersonal misunderstandings\u0026quot; during internships, individuals with low emotional intelligence may interpret \u0026quot;colleague feedback\u0026quot; as intentional targeting, thus triggering aggression. In contrast, individuals with high emotional intelligence can use \u0026quot;alternative coping strategies\u0026quot; to avoid conflict escalation.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"5. Conclusion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study constructs and verifies the mediating model of \u0026quot;negative life events \u0026rarr; interpersonal relationship distress \u0026rarr; aggressive behavior\u0026quot; and finds that emotional intelligence significantly moderates the path between interpersonal relationship distress and aggression. As emotional intelligence levels increase, the positive predictive effect of interpersonal relationship distress on aggression significantly weakens. This result not only echoes the classic framework of stress and adaptation but also precisely matches the characteristics of vocational students, who are \u0026quot;career-oriented and work-study integrated.\u0026quot; The findings provide a fresh perspective on understanding the mechanisms behind aggressive behavior in vocational college students and offer empirical insights for intervention strategies.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEthics approval and consent to participate\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll methods were carried out in accordance with relevant guidelines and regulations.The studies involving human participants were reviewed and approved by QingDao technical college. Each participant provided informed consent and was fully aware of the study details before participating in the survey.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConsent for publication\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot applicable.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eData availability\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe datasets used and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCompeting interests\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors declare no competing interests.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunding\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis work was supported by the Ministry of Education\u0026apos;s Humanities and Social Sciences Research Special Task Project (Research on College Counselors) \u0026nbsp;under Grant No. 22JDSZ3045.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor contributions\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWentao Sun and Wenguang He is responsible for the design of ideas and the interpretation of results. Lingfang Kong is responsible for data collection and analysis. Lingfang Kong and Pingping Hu is responsible for the preparation of the first draft. All authors reviewed the results and approved the final version of the manuscript.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAcknowledgements\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe would like to thank all involved participants in this study.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eXu L Y, Li X M. Realistic Dilemma and Optimization Paths of High-quality Development of Higher Vocational Education in China[J]. Vocational and Technical Education, 2025, 46(18): 59-66.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eLiu K, Chi C Y. Analysis of Higher Vocational Education Resource Carrying Capacity and Matching Degree[J]. Journal of Higher Education Management, 2025, 19(3): 95-108.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eLiu K, Chi C Y. 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Journal of Southwest University (Natural Science Edition), 2015, 37 (12): 122-127.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Vocational College Students, Negative Life Events, Emotional Intelligence, Interpersonal Relationship Distress, Aggressive Behavior","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7990587/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7990587/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eThis study explores the impact of negative life events on aggressive behavior in vocational college students, with a focus on the mediating role of interpersonal relationship distress and the moderating role of emotional intelligence. A survey was conducted on 5,503 students from 7 vocational colleges across China, using the Adolescent Life Events Scale, the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire, the Interpersonal Relationship Comprehensive Diagnosis Scale, and the Emotional Intelligence Scale. The results indicate that: (1) negative life events have a significant positive predictive effect on aggressive behavior; (2) interpersonal relationship distress partially mediates the relationship between negative life events and aggressive behavior; (3) emotional intelligence moderates the mediating effect of interpersonal relationship distress on the link between negative life events and aggressive behavior. These findings contribute to understanding the mechanisms underlying aggression in vocational college students and have educational implications for preventing aggressive behavior in this population.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"The Impact of Negative Life Events on Aggressive Behavior in Vocational College Students: A Moderated Mediation Model","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-11-19 19:31:46","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7990587/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"96d4613f-eb9d-482f-96b8-633fcb516a36","owner":[],"postedDate":"November 19th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-11-21T07:39:03+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-11-19 19:31:46","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-7990587","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-7990587","identity":"rs-7990587","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}