Abstract:

Following an explanatory logic of "social structural factor → psychological factors in everyday life →hopelessness →behavioral inclination", this quantitative research explores the impact of individual hopelessness on behavioral inclination of aggression and silence. Hopelessness in this study refers to a state of mind when an individual loses confidence in life and hope for the future. Behavioral inclination refers to the psychological disposition towards certain behavioral directions excluding specific situations and events. Our statistical analysis of the data shows that:a) Feeling hopelessness has effects on behavioral inclination. When a person's sense of hopelessness increases,his/her tendency towards aggression or withdrawal rises correspondently;b) Social structural factors (mainly refer to socio-economic statuses) and psychological factors of everyday life have direct effects on individuals' sense of wellbeing but only have indirect influences on behavioral inclination;3) Hopelessness affects aggressive inclination the same way as it does to silence inclination.For some,the impact is manifested in aggression tendency while for others in silence. Our study concludes that a sense of hopelessness plays a key role in generating both aggressive and silence behavioral inclination. Social structural and psychological factors only become relevant when they are the cause of hopelessness. Aggression and withdrawal are an isomorphic pair,rising from dissatisfaction. Long-term dissatisfaction in life can progress to hopelessness, which in turn causes an increasing number of people with aggressive and silence tendencies. Aggressive inclination constitutes psychological readiness for aggression while silence inclination offers psychological acceptance for social devastation. The social mechanism of hopelessness lies in the solidified structure of social strata that prevents social upward mobility. Therefore,any preventive measures for aggressive or silence inclination should begin with an effort to tackle hopelessness.

Key words: hopelessness, aggressive inclination, silence inclination