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Adolescents' attributions about aggression: an initial investigation.
1Bowling Green State University, USA. boxerp@umich.edu
Journal of Adolescence
|September 16, 2003
Summary
As adolescents mature, their tendency to attribute aggressive behavior to internal factors, such as personality, increases. This developmental shift impacts social cognition and understanding peer aggression.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Adolescent Psychology
Background:
- Aggression in adolescence is a significant area of study.
- Understanding causal attributions for aggression is crucial for social-cognitive development.
- Peer interactions play a vital role in adolescent development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine how causal attributions for aggression change across different stages of adolescence.
- To differentiate between proactive and reactive aggression in attributional analysis.
- To investigate the relationship between age and internal causal factors for aggression.
Main Methods:
- 362 adolescents across three age groups (early, middle, late) participated.
- Participants rated 48 descriptors as causes for hypothetical peer aggression (proactive or reactive).
- Confirmatory factor analyses validated the causal attribution model.
Main Results:
- A hypothesized model of causal beliefs was supported by the data.
- Internal causal attributions for aggression significantly increased with age.
- Age-related differences were observed in attributing aggression to internal factors.
Conclusions:
- Adolescents' causal attributions for aggression evolve with age, showing a greater emphasis on internal factors in older adolescents.
- Findings highlight the importance of social-cognitive development in shaping perceptions of aggression.
- Future research should explore these developmental trends in peer aggression contexts.