Inflated sense of peer acceptance and hostile intent attributions in overtly and relationally aggressive children /
The present study investigated the relationship between an inflated perception of peer acceptance and biased social information processing (specifically hostile intent attributions) in aggressive children. Eighty male and female second and third grade children participated; teachers identified the c...
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| Format: | Thesis Book |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
[Place of publication not identified] :
[publisher not identified] ;
1998.
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://proxy.library.tamu.edu/login?url=http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=732548221&sid=1&Fmt=2&clientId=2945&RQT=309&VName=PQD |
| Summary: | The present study investigated the relationship between an inflated perception of peer acceptance and biased social information processing (specifically hostile intent attributions) in aggressive children. Eighty male and female second and third grade children participated; teachers identified the children as aggressive and 52 as demographically similar to the aggressive children, but not aggressive. In addition, the mothers of the 58 aggressive children and 903 classmates of the target children. The study put forth a rationale based on attachment theory for a positive relationship between the hostile attributional bias (HAB) and inflated perceptions peer acceptance (IPA). Evidence supported the valence of the prediction, but not the expected magnitude (r=+.132). A second hypothesis that inflated perceptions of peer acceptance were positively related to the relational form of aggression was supported. However, the correlation between relational aggression (r=.25) and inflated perceptions of peer acceptance was not stronger than the relationship between inflated perceptions of peer acceptance and overt aggression (r=.26), as had been proposed. Relational aggression and overt aggression equally well explained 5.3% of the variance of inflated perceptions of peer support. Relational aggression uniquely explained .8% of IPA, whereas overt aggression uniquely explained 1.4% of the variance in IPA. Finally, multivariate analyses indicated that 5.2% of the variance in aggression scores (composite of relational and overt aggression scores as rated by peers) can be attributed to the tendency to overestimate support from peers and mothers. The clinical implications of these findings are discussed. |
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| Item Description: | Vita. |
| Physical Description: | xi, 123 leaves : illustrations ; 28 cm. Issued also on microfiche from University Microfilm Inc. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references: pages 99-111. |