Biased decision-making processes in aggressive boys.

Recent evidence has suggested that aggressive boys demonstrate a bias toward attributing hostility to peers in unwarranted circumstances. The present study explored 2 aspects of cognitive processing that might be related to attributional bias: speed of decision making and selective recall of hostile cues. 81 aggressive and nonaggressive boys at 3 age levels (kindergarten–2st grade, 2nd–3rd, and 4th–5th) participated in a detective game in which the task was to accumulate evidence to decide whether or not a peer had acted with benevolence or hostility. Aggressive boys were found to respond more quickly and with less attention to available social cues. They also overattributed hostility to peers in unwarranted circumstances, but only when they responded quickly. This restriction suggests that training aggressive boys to respond more slowly could lead to fewer biased attributions on their part. Selective recall was also related to biased attributions for both groups of boys. This suggests that training boys to recall all cues nonselectively could reduce the frequency of their biased attributions. Results are discussed in terms of a cognitive model of aggressive behavior. (16 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self- and peer perceptions and attributional biases of aggressive and nonaggressive boys in dyadic interactions.

This study assessed differences in self-perceptions, peer perceptions, and attributions of relative responsibility for 20 aggressive and 18 nonaggressive boys. Subjects completed semantic differential ratings of themselves and of their peer partners following a brief competitive dyadic discussion, and research assistants also rated videotapes of the interactions. The four experimental cells consisting of aggressive and nonaggressive subjects interacting with similar and opposite-status peers were found to be appropriately comparable on actual behavior during the interaction task. The results indicate that aggressive boys' perceptual and attributional biases do operate in actual social interactions. In comparison with nonaggressive boys, aggressive boys minimized their perceptions of their own aggressiveness and perceived their peer partners as more aggressive than they themselves were. An opposite pattern was found for nonaggressive boys. The differences in perceptions and attributions were significantly evident only in dyads of boys with different behavioral status. The implications of this attributional pattern for perceived responsibility are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social-cognitive and behavioral characteristics of peer-rejected boys.

Identified 13 rejected and 13 popular 3rd- and 4th-grade boys using sociometric nomination measures. Playground observations and interview assessments of social problem solving were administered during the winter and spring. Rejected Ss both exhibited and received more aversive behavior than popular Ss. Although no status differences in the overall rate of interaction were found, rejected Ss exhibited more onlooker behavior and solitary play than the popular ones. No differences in the frequency of alternative solutions to hypothetical social problems were found between status groups. The solutions of rejected Ss were, however, less effective and more aggressive than those of populars. Chosen solutions of rejected Ss were also more likely to be ineffective and aggressive than those of populars. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An attributional analysis of the development of excuse giving in aggressive and nonaggressive African American boys.

This study examined the effects of age and aggressive status on children's understanding and use of excuses. Younger (3rd–5th grade) and older (6th–8th grade) aggressive and nonaggressive African American boys were first instructed to imagine that they failed to fulfill a social obligation. The cause of the transgression was presented as controllable (e.g., choosing to do something else), and children indicated whether they would reveal that cause or make up an excuse. Next, 4 causes of the same transgression were manipulated to be either controllable or uncontrollable. Children inferred that they would be held more responsible for controllable causes of social misconduct, that these causes would elicit more anger, and that they would be more likely to withhold these causes (i.e., make up an excuse). The linkages between perceived responsibility, anticipated anger, and excuse giving were stronger among older than younger boys and among nonaggressive than aggressive boys. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effectiveness of a social relations intervention program for aggressive and nonaggressive, rejected children.

A sample of 52 Black aggressive rejected and nonaggressive rejected children were randomly assigned to receive a social relations intervention or to be in a nonintervention control group. The school-based intervention for 4th-grade children focused on positive social skill training and cognitive-behavioral strategies to promote deliberate, nonimpulsive problem solving. At both the posttreatment and the 1-yr follow-up assessments, the social relations intervention was found to be effective only with the aggressive, rejected children. Implications for the importance of assessing subtypes of rejected children are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Differences in alcohol expectancy between aggressive and nonaggressive social drinkers

Previous reports have shown that drinkers with aggressive personalities not only hold the strongest beliefs that alcohol facilitates aggressive behavior, but they also display the greatest increases in laboratory aggression after receiving alcohol. Given that several studies have demonstrated that a portion of the behavioral and subjective effects of alcohol are due to psychological expectancy, this study explored whether aggressive drinkers have elevated intoxication expectancies from laboratory beverages with unknown alcohol content. The rates of aggressive responses emitted in a money subtraction aggression model under baseline conditions were used to select an aggressive group and a nonaggressive group, each with five male and five female participants. Subjects then ingested and rated each of three placebo (1 ml alcohol) beverages administered hourly during a subsequent laboratory visit, and rated a series of three 0.35 g/kg of alcohol beverages the following day. Whereas nonaggressive subjects clearly discriminated the relative alcohol content of alcohol and placebo drinks, aggressive subjects gave progressively elevated shot equivalent ratings to placebo drinks, similar to their ratings of alcohol doses. However, despite similar self-reported drinking histories, aggressive subjects reported anticipating only half the intoxication from the alcohol doses (and in fact achieved a lower peak breath alcohol concentration) than was expected by nonaggressive subjects.     

Verbal mediation in young aggressive boys.

Compared the performance of 49 aggressive and 46 normal boys ages 77–97 mo on measures of verbal ability, types of self-guiding speech, nonverbal intelligence, reading achievement, impulsivity, ability to inhibit responses, and response modulation following overt and covert commands. Tests administered included the Boehm Test of Basic Concepts, Matching Familiar Figures Test, and portions of the Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities, WISC-R, Wide Range Achievement Test, and Wepman Test of Auditory Discrimination. Discriminant function analysis resulted in correct classification of 88% of the cases. Variables with high scores contributing to classification as aggressive included vocabulary, immature and irrelevant private speech, fast reaction times, baseline speed of finger tapping, inhibition errors, and speed of responding during covert commands for slowing. Results are interpreted as consistent with the formulation that young aggressive boys fail to use verbal mediational activity in many situations in which it would be appropriate, and when it does occur, covert mediational activity may fail to achieve functional control over behavior. It is hypothesized that both learning and behavior problems in aggressive boys may be symptomatic of an ineffective linguistic control system. (35 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Verbal abilities in young aggressive boys.

Academic failure and poor verbal abilities are commonplace in older children with aggressive behavior problems. The present study addressed the question of whether a similar pattern would be observed in young aggressive boys. A variety of verbal and nonverbal abilities were examined in 71 pairs of aggressive and normal boys in kindergarten-2nd grade. Significant differences favoring normals were observed on the WISC Information, Similarities, Block Design, Mazes, Performance IQ, and Full Scale IQ subscales; Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities Auditory Reception and Grammatic Closure subscales; and the Wide Range Achievement Test Reading subscale. Results do not indicate a generalized deficit in verbal development among young aggressive boys; however, findings support the interpretation that some deficit in mediational use of verbal ability may be present in aggressive boys. (26 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cognitive and neuropsychological characteristics of physically aggressive boys.

Cognitive–neuropsychological tests were given to adolescent boys (N?=?177) to investigate processes associated with physical aggression. Factor analysis yielded 4 factors representing verbal learning, incidental spatial learning, tactile–lateral ability, and executive functions. Physical aggression was assessed at ages 6, 10, 11, and 12, and 3 groups were created: stable aggressive, unstable aggressive, and nonaggressive. The authors found main effects for only the executive functions factor even when other factors were used as additional covariates in a step-down analysis; nonaggressive boys performed better than stable and unstable aggressive boys. The covariates family adversity and anxiety were both related only to the verbal learning factor. This study highlights the importance of deficits in executive function in the expression of physical aggression relative to other cognitive–neuropsychological functions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Personality characteristics of parents of neurotic, aggressive, and normal preadolescent boys.

Compared MMPI's of parents of neurotic, aggressive, and normal 9-11 yr. old boys using 2 of Achenbach's factors for classification of child psychiatric patients. 23 couples, parents of aggressive boys, were more deviant than 29 couples, parents of neurotic boys, Experimental parents were more deviant than 50 control couples. Fathers of aggressive boys were higher on Pd than either fathers of neurotic or control boys. Fathers of neurotic boys were higher on K. Mothers of aggressive boys had more low point Mf. More neurotic boys were oldest and more aggressive boys middle children. (16 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Predicting serious delinquency and substance use among aggressive boys.

This 3.5-year prospective study examined the role of factors hypothesized by the social development model to inhibit or increase the likelihood of subsequent involvement in serious delinquency and substance use within a sample of boys identified as aggressive by teacher report at ages 10–21. A combination (ages 12–23) of the constructs of skills for prosocial involvement, school bonding and achievement, family bonding and management practices, norms against substance use, and interaction with peers and adults involved in antisocial behavior significantly discriminated between boys who were and were not involved in serious delinquent behavior and substance use at ages 13–24, although family bonding and management practices appeared to contribute little to the discriminant function. Implications of the results for preventive interventions with aggressive boys are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effects of alcohol on the marital interactions of aggressive and nonaggressive husbands and their wives.

This study examined the marital interactions of 60 maritally aggressive and 75 nonaggressive men and their wives under a baseline condition, and then after the husband had received no alcohol, a placebo, or alcohol. These sessions were videotaped and coded with the Marital Interaction Coding System by coders who were unaware of group status and specific condition. Aggressive couples exhibited more negative behavior and higher levels of negative reciprocity in the baseline interaction than did nonaggressive couples. The administration of alcohol led husbands, but not wives, to increase their problem-solving attempts. Alcohol, but not the placebo, led to increased negativity of both husbands and wives. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Exposure to violent media: The effects of songs with violent lyrics on aggressive thoughts and feelings.

Five experiments examined effects of songs with violent lyrics on aggressive thoughts and hostile feelings. Experiments 1, 3, 4 and 5 demonstrated that college students who heard a violent song felt more hostile than those who heard a similar but nonviolent song. Experiments 2-5 demonstrated a similar increase in aggressive thoughts. These effects replicated across songs and song types (e.g., rock, humorous, nonhumorous). Experiments 3-5 also demonstrated that trait hostility was positively related to state hostility but did not moderate the song lyric effects. Discussion centers on the potential role of lyric content on aggression in short-term settings, relation to catharsis and other media violence domains, development of aggressive personality, differences between long-term and short-term effects, and possible mitigating factors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social status of aggressive and aggressive/withdrawn boys: A replication across age and method.

Conducted a replication across age and method of R. Milich and S. Landau's (see record 1984-22852-001) findings that the relationship between aggressive child behavior and social status was clarified by classification of kindergarten males into aggressive vs aggressive/withdrawn (AW) groups. Ss were 238 3rd–6th grade males, and a group-administered sociometric procedure was used for classification instead of the individual interview used by Milich and Landau. Consistent with the previous findings, AW Ss were both highly rejected and unpopular; although rejected, aggressive Ss had no popularity problems. (1 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Therapeutic factors and outcomes in group and individual therapy of aggressive boys.

The study compared outcomes and process in group and individual treatment of 102 aggressive boys. Analyses were performed in ordinal and logistic regressions (for change and therapeutic factors, respectively) within a hierarchical linear model. Results indicated reduced aggression for the treatment children compared with the control group, with no effect of treatment format. Most of the boys reached at least the preparation stage of change in both treatments. The process research revealed 1 difference in Emotional Awareness-Insight, presented more in group treatment, and growth in Emotional Awareness-Insight and Problem Identification-Change. The stepwise regression revealed that Other vs Self-Focus and Problem Identification-Change were related to outcomes in group treatment only: The 1st contributed negatively to gains, and the 2nd contributed positively. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cognitive-behavioral intervention with aggressive boys: Three-year follow-up and preventive effects.

Examined the longer term preventive effects of a school-based intervention with boys referred by classroom teachers as highly aggressive and disruptive. Three yrs after intervention, boys who had received an anger coping (AC) program were compared with a group of untreated boys. The AC boys had lower rates of drug and alcohol involvement and had higher levels of self-esteem and social problem-solving skills. The AC boys were not significantly different from previously nonaggressive boys on these variables at follow-up. Although the overall intervention did not have longer term effects on delinquency rates or classroom behavior, a subset of boys who also received booster sessions did display maintenance of certain classroom behavior improvement. Implications for intensification of cognitive-behavioral interventions are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sexually aggressive and nonaggressive men: Sexual arousal and judgments in response to acquaintance rape and consensual analogues.

Self-identified sexually aggressive (SA) and nonaggressive (NA) college men listened to audiotape analogues of consensual sexual intercourse and acquaintance rape. Phallometric and decision-latency methodology was used to examine sexual arousal and decisions to stop sexual advances in each scenario. Both groups showed increases in penile response to the consensual scenario. Consistent with the inhibition model of sexual aggression, the SA group showed greater sexual arousal and failed to inhibit responding when force was introduced in the rape, whereas the NA group exhibited less arousal and greater inhibition to force. The SA group allowed the rape to continue significantly longer than the NA group. These effects were greatly magnified in SA men who endorsed high calloused sexual beliefs, implying that a cognitive set that justifies sexual aggression and lacks victim empathy may disinhibit sexual arousal and potentiate coercive decision making. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Treatment and generalization effects of cognitive–behavioral and goal-setting interventions with aggressive boys.

76 9–12 yr old aggressive males were assigned to anger-coping, goal-setting, anger–coping plus goal-setting, or no-treatment groups. Anger-coping interventions were school-based secondary prevention efforts that utilized social problem-solving and cognitive-behavioral techniques. At 1-mo followup, Ss who received anger-coping treatment had reduced their aggressive behavior in the classroom and at home and displayed improved self-esteem. (5 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Physically aggressive boys from ages 6 to 12: Family background, parenting behavior, and prediction of delinquency.

Boys from low socioeconomic environments were rated on physical aggression at ages 6, 10, 11, and 12 yrs by teachers and classified according to stability of fighting over time: stable high fighters, high fighters with late onset, desisting high fighters, variable high fighters, and nonfighters. The fighter groups differed from each other both in family background and parenting behavior. They were also significantly associated with delinquency across ages 10 to 14 yrs. A stepwise logistic regression with fighter groups, family adversity index, and parenting behavior variables as predictors showed that the Punishment?×?Fighter Group interaction, together with supervision, predicted self-reported delinquency. The study thus showed that the developmental pathways of physically aggressive behavior for boys in low socioeconomic environments were related to familial adversity and poor parenting, and that they predicted delinquency. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Familial and temperamental determinants of aggressive behavior in adolescent boys: A causal analysis.

On the basis of previous knowledge and theoretical considerations, a causal model was formulated and tested by path analysis on 2 representative samples of Swedish boys—76 13-yr-olds and 51 16-yr-olds. Ss' habitual aggression levels were assessed through peer ratings. Data on early rearing conditions and temperamental characteristics were obtained in retrospective interviews with all of the mothers and the majority of the fathers. Main results were that the 4 factors in the model—mother's negativism, mother's permissiveness for aggression, mother's and father's use of power-assertive methods, and boy's temperament—all contributed to the development of an aggressive reaction pattern, with the former 2 factors having the greatest causal impact. Results in the 2 samples were similar, and a substantial amount of variance in the boys' aggression levels could be explained by the variables included in the model. Neither the Ss' aggression level nor the rearing variables were related to the socioeconomic conditions of the family. (44 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)