Social Information Processing and Aggressive Behavior in Early Childhood: A Brazilian Birth Cohort Study
Luciana Perrone1, Andreas Bauer1, Suelen Cruz1
1Federal University of Pelotas, Brazil.
Journal of Interpersonal Violence
|April 22, 2026
Summary
Persistent childhood aggression is linked to adult problems. This study found that how children generate aggressive responses, not their hostile attribution bias, predicts later aggression, even after accounting for other factors.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Child Psychiatry
- Social Psychology
Background:
- Child aggressive behavior is common in early childhood but persistent aggression can lead to long-term social and health issues.
- Difficulties in social information processing (SIP) are theorized to contribute to persistent aggression.
- Understanding SIP's role in childhood aggression is crucial for early intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of social information processing (SIP) on persistent child aggression in a large Brazilian birth cohort.
- To examine the roles of hostile attribution bias, aggressive response generation, and competent assessment in child aggression.
- To identify whether SIP's influence persists after accounting for various confounding factors.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from 3,532 children in a population-based birth cohort in Pelotas City, Brazil.
- Measured SIP at age 4 using the Social Information Processing Interview - Preschool Version.
- Assessed child aggressive behavior at ages 6-7 via maternal reports, controlling for numerous child, family, and community factors.
Main Results:
- Initially, both aggressive response generation and competent assessment were linked to increased child aggression, while hostile attribution bias was not.
- The association between SIP and aggression was confounded by factors including community violence, maternal education, parental antisocial behavior, and child's sex and language development.
- After adjusting for confounders, only aggressive response generation remained significantly associated with later child aggression.
Conclusions:
- Aggressive response generation is the primary aspect of social information processing longitudinally associated with child aggression in this Brazilian cohort.
- Early preventive interventions targeting aggressive response generation may be beneficial.
- Further research is needed to identify optimal targets for early intervention for child aggression, considering various psychosocial factors.
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