Examining links between inhibitory control, shyness, and reactive and proactive aggression at 4 years

• In Event: Poster Session 13
  In Poster Session: PS 13 Topic - Social, Emotional, Personality

Abstract

Temperament—individual differences in reactivity and self-regulation—is related to behaviors in a variety of domains, including aggression (Goldsmith et al., 1987; Pawliczek et al., 2013; Rothbart et al., 2000). It is important to specify predictive relationships during early childhood, as temperament dimensions emerge and become more refined (Rothbart et al. 2007; Sanson, Hemphill, & Smart, 2004). The goal of this study was to understand how the temperament dimensions of shyness and inhibitory control and gender are associated with reactive and proactive aggression among 4-year-old children using parent-report measures. Shyness is marked by slow, avoidant, or inhibited approach to novel social situations or uncertainty, whereas inhibitory control is the ability to “suppress inappropriate approach responses under instructions or in novel or uncertain situations” (Rothbard, Ahadi, & Hershey, 1994, p. 29). Reactive aggression is defined as a “less controlled outburst of anger and frenzy that appears to be a defensive reaction to some goal blocking, provocation, or frustration,” whereas proactive aggression is defined as a “relatively nonemotional display of injurious power that is clearly aimed at some external goal, such as food or dominance” (Dodge & Coie, 1987, p. 1147). We focused on age 4 years when children are beginning to prepare for the transition to kindergarten, which could present challenges for children who have low inhibitory control and/or high shyness, especially if these aspects are linked to aggression. We predicted that inhibitory control, shyness, and gender would predict reactive and proactive aggression, specifically that low levels of inhibitory control and high levels of shyness would predict higher levels of aggression. Interactions of gender with inhibitory control and shyness were tested on an exploratory basis. 124 parents of 4-year-old children were recruited from area preschools and organizations serving children and families. Parents reported their child’s temperament using the short version of the Children’s Behavior Questionnaire Shyness and Inhibitory Control subscales, which each consisted of 6 questions on a 7-point Likert-like scale ranging from extremely untrue of your child to extremely true of your child (Rothbart, Ahadi, Hershey, & Fisher, 2001). Additionally, parents completed the Reactive Proactive Aggression Questionnaire, which was composed of 19 items on a scale of 0 (never) to 2 (sometimes) with 11 items related to reactive aggression and 8 items reflective of proactive aggression (Dodge & Coie, 1987). As predicted, inhibitory control predicted reactive aggression, β= -2.249, t(122) = -5.567, p< .001. Similarly, inhibitory control predicted proactive aggression, β= -.949, t(122) = -4.087, p< .001. No significant results were found for shyness or gender (see Tables 1 and 2). These findings indicate that lower inhibitory control is predictive of higher reactive and proactive aggression, suggesting that inhibitory control may be involved in modulating aggressive behaviors.

Authors

• Samantha Croney, Florida International University
  Presenting Author

• Alycia M Hund, Illinois State University
  Non-Presenting Author