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Young children's understanding of displaced aggression
Journal of Experimental Child Psychology
|June 1, 1983
Summary
Young children are beginning to understand displaced aggression by age five, though their comprehension is not yet complete. Short, realistic videos aided their understanding of aggression causes.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Child Psychology
Background:
- Previous research indicates young children struggle to grasp the concept of displaced aggression.
- Displaced aggression involves redirecting aggressive impulses onto a less threatening target.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the early stages of understanding moderately and extremely displaced aggression in young children.
- To identify factors contributing to children's comprehension of displaced aggression.
Main Methods:
- Preschool and kindergarten children (3-5 years old) viewed eight videotaped scenarios of displaced aggression.
- Comprehension was assessed using open-ended questions and picture-based forced-choice selections.
Main Results:
- By age five, most children demonstrated partial understanding of displaced aggression.
- No significant difference in comprehension difficulty was found between moderate and extreme displacement.
- Simple, realistic video stimuli appeared to facilitate early understanding.
Conclusions:
- Young children's understanding of displaced aggression emerges by age five, but remains incomplete.
- The use of age-appropriate, realistic stimuli is crucial for assessing early cognitive development in this area.
- Further research can explore the nuances of displaced aggression comprehension in early childhood.
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