Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 25, 2026

The Resident-intruder Paradigm: A Standardized Test for Aggression, Violence and Social Stress
Published on: July 4, 2013
[Justification of violence as a mediator between exposure to violence and aggressive behavior in children]
1Facultad de Psicología y Educación, Universidad de Deusto, 48080 Bilbao, Spain. izaskun.orue@deusto.es
Abstract:
The aim of this study was to evaluate the mediating role of the justification of violence schema in the relationship between exposure to violence and reactive and proactive aggressive behavior. We differentiated between direct and indirect exposure in four contexts: home, neighborhood, school and TV. A total of 675 children, aged between 8 and 12 years, participated in the study. They answered questionnaires about exposure to violence, justification of violence, and proactive and reactive aggressive behavior in two waves six months apart. The results showed that witnessing violence at home and on TV predicted aggressive behavior, and this relationship was mediated by the justification of violence. Victimization in all contexts predicted aggressive behavior and this relationship was generally mediated by the justification of violence.
Related Concept Videos
Aggression
Bullying
Group Design
The Scientific Method
Secondary Motives: Affiliation Motivation and Aggression Motivation
Causes of Social Behavior III: Biological and Environmental Influences

