Self-Regulation Pathways to Forms and Functions of Aggression

• In Event: 1-152 - Executive Functioning and Relational Aggression/Victimization: Longitudinal Findings from Childhood to Adolescence

Integrative Statement

Theories highlight the influences of both child self-regulation (e.g., Vitaro et al., 2006) and harsh parenting (e.g., Patterson, 1982) on the increased risk of child and adolescent aggression. However, less is known about the developmental pathways to the different forms (relational and overt) and functions (reactive and proactive) of aggression. Attentional and regulatory processes may help elucidate these trajectories. Models of self-regulation integrate executive functioning and effortful control (Zhou et al., 2011) as two components of self-regulation: inhibition and attention. Alterations in behavioral and attentional control and inhibition are associated with higher physical aggression among children (Shields & Cicchetti, 1998). Self-regulation may therefore be a mechanism through which children are at risk for later aggression, particularly within the context of harsh parenting. However, understanding similarities and differences in trajectories to relational and physical aggression from early development is critical for intervention and prevention efforts. The present study was to investigated pathways from early childhood to forms and functions of aggression in adolescence, considering the role of parenting and child self-regulation in a high-risk (lower socio-economic status, diverse) sample.

The sample consisted of 216 mother-infant dyads recruited prenatally and assessed from pregnancy through early adolescence. The sample was primarily Black/African American (71.8%) and receiving public assistance (71%). Child attentional problems were assessed at 36, 48, and 60 months (Kindergarten) with maternal-report on the Child Behavior Checklist (Achenbach & Rescorla, 2001) and child hyperactivity/impulsivity were assessed with teacher-report on the Behavioral Assessment System for Children (Reynolds & Kamphaus, 2002). Effortful control was measured using laboratory tasks developed by Kochanska and included measures of latency to response inhibition and inhibitory control behaviors. Parent responses to child negative emotion and distress was assessed (Fabes & Bernzweig, 1990) at 48 months old. In early adolescence (M = 13.6 years, SD = .53; 57% female), adolescent self-report of reactive and proactive relational and physical aggression were obtained.

SEM was used to test the mediational model (see Figure 1) and fit the data well. MLR within Mplus was used to accommodate skew and missing data. Results indicated stability of attention problems and effortful control across early childhood. Effortful control was associated with reactive relational and proactive physical aggression, and tended to be associated with proactive relational aggression. Hyperactivity/impulsivity was associated with all forms and functions, although only tended to be associated with reactive relational aggression. Although maternal aggression and harsh, rejecting responses to child emotion were associated with attention problems and reduced effortful control, moderation by parenting was not supported. Sex differences were also examined, but were not significant.

Results emphasized the influence of effortful control in predicting relational aggression and proactive physical aggression. Hyperactivity and impulsivity was also found to have an important role in predicting aggression. Both disinhibition and control may explain enacting relational and proactive aggression given the arguably higher cognitive load of engaging in these planful or covert dysfunctional behaviors. Maternal aggression and harshness may also contribute to the early cascade of risk for reduced self-regulation and increased risk for aggression.

Authors

• Stephanie Godleski, Rochester Institute of Technology
  Presenting Author

• Rina Das Eiden, University at Buffalo, State University of New York
  Non-Presenting Author

• Pamela Schuetze, SUNY Buffalo State
  Non-Presenting Author

• Shannon Shisler, University at Buffalo, State University of New York
  Non-Presenting Author

• Junru Zhao, University at Buffalo, State University of New York
  Non-Presenting Author

• Jamie Ostrov, University of Buffalo
  Non-Presenting Author