A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Relationship Specificity of Aggressogenic Thought-Behavior Processes
Authors: Peets K, Hodges EVE, Salmivalli C
Publisher: AMER PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOC
Publication year: 2011
Journal: Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
Journal name in source: JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
Journal acronym: J PERS SOC PSYCHOL
Number in series: 2
Volume: 101
Issue: 2
First page : 386
Last page: 400
Number of pages: 15
ISSN: 0022-3514
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/a0023662(external)
Abstract
The purpose of this longitudinal study was to examine the relationship specificity of aggressogenic thought-behavior processes and to investigate the role of self-esteem in translating or inhibiting aggressogenic thought into aggression toward personally liked and disliked targets. Participants (186 Finnish boys and girls; 11-12 years old at Time 1) completed measures twice over a 1-year interval. We assessed children's attributions of hostility, relational goals, expectations of anger, and self-efficacy at Time 1 as well as aggression, at both time points, toward their previously identified liked and disliked peers. Our results mostly supported our hypothesis that cognitions guide behavior mainly within the relationship context. Moreover, high self-esteem potentiated cognition-behavior links toward children's own liked peer but inhibited the actualization of aggressogenic thought toward children's disliked peer. These findings highlight the importance of taking a Person X Situation approach when studying cognition-behavior processes.
The purpose of this longitudinal study was to examine the relationship specificity of aggressogenic thought-behavior processes and to investigate the role of self-esteem in translating or inhibiting aggressogenic thought into aggression toward personally liked and disliked targets. Participants (186 Finnish boys and girls; 11-12 years old at Time 1) completed measures twice over a 1-year interval. We assessed children's attributions of hostility, relational goals, expectations of anger, and self-efficacy at Time 1 as well as aggression, at both time points, toward their previously identified liked and disliked peers. Our results mostly supported our hypothesis that cognitions guide behavior mainly within the relationship context. Moreover, high self-esteem potentiated cognition-behavior links toward children's own liked peer but inhibited the actualization of aggressogenic thought toward children's disliked peer. These findings highlight the importance of taking a Person X Situation approach when studying cognition-behavior processes.
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