Social-information-processing patterns mediate the impact of preventive intervention on adolescent antisocial...

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Child Psychology
• Preventive Intervention Research

Background:

• Aggressive behavior in early childhood is a significant risk factor for later antisocial behavior.
• Long-term, large-scale preventive interventions are crucial for addressing childhood aggression.
• Understanding the mediating mechanisms of interventions is key to optimizing their effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To test if the Fast Track intervention's effect on adolescent antisocial behavior is mediated by changes in social-cognitive processes during elementary school.
• To examine the specific social-cognitive pathways through which the intervention influences behavioral outcomes.
• To provide evidence for prevention planners on targeting social-cognitive skills for reducing antisocial behavior.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 891 high-risk kindergarten children assigned to intervention or control groups.
• The multiyear Fast Track intervention included social-skill training, parent groups, classroom curricula, peer coaching, and tutoring.
• Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the mediation effects of social-cognitive processes on antisocial behavior.

Main Results:

• The Fast Track intervention significantly reduced mean antisocial behavior scores in Grade 9 by 0.16 standardized units (p < .01).
• Approximately 27% of the intervention's impact was mediated by improvements in social-cognitive processes.
• Key mediating factors included reduced hostile-attribution biases, increased competent response generation, and devalued aggression.

Conclusions:

• The study supports a model where social-cognitive processes mediate the development of antisocial behavior.
• The Fast Track intervention effectively targets these social-cognitive processes to reduce long-term antisocial behavior.
• Prevention programs should focus on enhancing social-cognitive skills in early childhood to mitigate antisocial behavior.