Reactive and proactive aggression: evidence of a two-factor model.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Child Psychology

Background:

• Aggression in children is a significant area of study.
• Understanding different forms of aggression is crucial for intervention.
• Previous research has explored reactive and proactive aggression.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the construct validity of a teacher-rating scale for reactive and proactive aggression.
• To determine if the scale differentiates between these two forms of aggression.
• To assess the relationship between aggression types and social behaviors.

Main Methods:

• Confirmatory factor analyses were used in Study 1 (n=149 boys).
• Study 2 (n=193 boys) examined relations with peer status, leadership, social withdrawal, and victimization.
• A teacher-rating scale developed by Dodge and Coie (1987) was utilized.

Main Results:

• A two-factor model showed a better fit than a single-factor model, indicating distinct aggression types.
• Reactive and proactive aggression demonstrated unique patterns of association with social variables.
• The scale successfully distinguished between the two forms of aggression.

Conclusions:

• The teacher-rating scale effectively measures reactive and proactive aggression as distinct constructs.
• While related, these aggression types possess unique characteristics and implications.
• Findings support the discriminant validity of the aggression measures.