Final answer:
True, a hostile attribution bias increases the likelihood of engaging in impulsive or reactive violence as it leads to the interpretation of others' actions as hostile, resulting in aggressive behaviors and societal strain.
Step-by-step explanation:
A hostile attribution bias would indeed make a person more likely to engage in impulsive or reactive violence. This is because individuals with this type of cognitive bias interpret ambiguous or neutral actions of others as hostile, leading to increased aggression and antagonistic behavior. The transactional model of hostility by Vella et al. (2012) suggests that the thoughts and feelings of a hostile person promote antagonistic behavior, which in turn reinforces negative reactions from others, intensifying a hostile disposition. Furthermore, Chida and Steptoe (2009) concluded that anger and hostility are serious long-term risk factors for adverse cardiovascular outcomes. This could be due, in part, to the social strain from antagonistic encounters that are common among individuals with a hostile attribution bias.