Abstract: As a type of parental harsh displine, psychological aggression involves a psychological or emotional rejection of the child by verbal or symbolic forms of aggressive behavior or both. A large amount of research has provided the support for the intergenerational transmission of parental harsh discipline. In order to investigate the intergenerational transmission of parental psychological aggression in Chinese culture and the moderating effect of spouse’s psychological aggression on the intergenerational transmission, 793 elementary school students’ parents completed the Parent-Child Conflict Tactics Scales (CTSPC). The results indicated: (1) Mothers used more psychological aggression with boys than with girls; (2) Both fathers’ and mothers’ psychological aggressions were transmitted across generations; (3) Father’s psychological aggression toward children moderated the intergenerational transmission of mother’s psychological aggression, with high level of father’s psychological aggression buffering the intergenerational transmission of mother’s psychological aggression.

Key words: psychological aggression, intergenerational transmission, spouse’s psychological aggression, self-handicapping, self-worth, impression management, athlete