Obinochnaya T.V., Enikolopov S.N. Auto-aggression in the Personality Structure of Bodily Modifications

The prevalence of various somatic modifications among the population and the development of the service industry associated with this phenomenon necessitate a more in-depth and comprehensive study of the practice of body modification. Many studies have shown the relationship between somatic modifications with self-harm and with other forms of deviant behavior. This suggests that somatic modification is not only a fashion trend; behind the tendency to get tattoos, wear piercings, or alter one's body through painful procedures and surgical interventions lie psychological factors that require investigation.

The aim of the present study is to establish a link between somatic modification in the form of tattoos and piercings and self-harm and suicidal behavior by examining the structural components of personality mediating this link.

Study methods: Bass-Perry Personal Aggressiveness Questionnaire (BPAQ-24); M. Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES); Barratt Impulsivity Scale (BIS-11); R. Hirschfield Interpersonal Dependence Questionnaire; I7 Impulsivity Questionnaire (AIS-I7); Diagnostic technique for the need to search for Zuckerman sensations; Methodology for the study of egocentric associations by T. Shustrova.

The study involved 157 people who were divided into three groups. The group “Patients with auto-aggression” included 22 psychiatric patients. 28 participants who were not registered in a neuropsychiatric dispensary, but had a history of self-harming and/or suicidal behavior, were selected for the “Suicide Risk Group.” In the healthy group, 107 mentally healthy participants were selected without a history of auto-aggressive actions. In each group, 50% of respondents had two or more tattoos (a total of 2 to 10 tattoos).

As a result of the study, a component of auto-aggressiveness and a component of emotional dependence were identified in the personality structure of individuals with self-injurious and suicidal behavior. The component of auto-aggressiveness included such interconnected individual psychological characteristics as increased impulsiveness and aggressiveness, the need to search for new sensations, low self-esteem and self-doubt. The component of emotional dependence is an increased tendency to interpersonal dependence, emotional reliance on others, empathicity, and egocentrism. It has been established that in healthy people with somatic modifications in the form of tattoos, high indicators of the auto-aggressiveness component are more common than in people who do not have them. This allows us to reasonably consider body modifications as a risk factor for the occurrence of auto-aggressive behavior.

Key words: auto-aggressive behavior, self-harm, body modifications, tattoos, auto-aggressiveness, aggressiveness, impulsivity, suicidality

 For citation: Obinochnaya, T.V., Enikolopov, S.N. (2025). Auto-aggression in the Personality Structure of Bodily Modifications. New Psychological Research, No. 4, 57–79. DOI: 10.51217/npsyresearch_2025_05_04_03