Aggression among youth is a public health problem that is often studied in the context of how youth interpret social information. Social cognitive factors, especially hostile attribution biases, have been identified as risk factors for the development of youth aggression, particularly across the transition to middle school. Parental behaviors,…

Of all psychiatric disorders, the disruptive behavior disorders (DBDs) are the most likely to predispose to substance dependence (SD). One possible underlying mechanism for this increased vulnerability is risky decision making. The aim of this study was to examine decision making in DBD adolescents with and without SD. Twenty-five DBD adolescents…

This study investigated whether and how deficits in executive functioning and distortions in appraisal processing are related to subtypes of aggressive behavior. The sample included 83 boys assessed using multi-informant reports and performance measures. Deficits in two executive functions, response inhibition and planning ability were related…

The current study examines inconsistent discipline as a mediator in the association between maternal distress and child aggression and attention problems. Participants were 215 boys, ranging in age from 9 to 12 years, and their mothers. Mothers provided self-report data on socioeconomic status (SES), parenting stress, maternal distress (depression…

This study attempted to discover how anger, locus of control, and impulsivity are related to aggression. Two pathways to aggression were examined: a cognitive/schema pathway and an emotion/impulsivity pathway. The sample included 242 fourth- and fifth-grade boys. Using data from several questionnaires, teachers reported on levels of reactive and…

Assigned aggressive boys (N=76) to one of four cells consisting of anger coping, goal setting, anger coping plus goal setting, and a no treatment cell. Results of follow-up testing showed that the boys who had been in the anger-coping groups had reduced their disruptive and aggressive behavior in the classroom and at home. (LLL)

The current study examined the mutual influence of parenting and boys' externalizing behavior from 4th to 8th grade, how these relationships change as children develop, and the stability of parenting and child behavior in a sample of 122 boys. Child behavior predicted poor parental monitoring at 6th and 7th grade and inconsistent discipline at all…

Recently, research has begun to identify the social cognitive dysfunctions that aggressive children display. Using noninteractive laboratory tasks, aggressive children were found to perceive more hostile intentions from others in ambiguous situations than did nonaggressive children. Research has not investigated if this bias occurs in truly…

Examined social-cognitive processes of aggressive and nonaggressive boys (n=296) at preadolescent and early adolescent age levels. Found that wide range of social-cognitive processes was distorted and deficient for violent and moderately aggressive boys and that different types of social cognition contributed unique variance in discriminating…

This study evaluates the effects of the Coping Power Program with at-risk preadolescent boys at the time of transition from elementary school to middle school. Aggressive boys were randomly assigned to receive only the Coping Power child component, the full Coping Power Program with parent and child components, or a control condition. Results…

This study examined the predictors of aggressive offending that persisted from adolescence into young adulthood in an initial sample of 622 African American youth who were interviewed every 2 years between the ages of 12 and 22. Participants were classified as persistent aggressive offenders (n = 27) if they reported committing a felony assault…

While evidence is mixed about whether aggressive children generate fewer alternative solutions to social problems than do nonaggressive children, research has found consistent deficiencies in the qualitative kinds of solutions that aggressive children produce. This study assessed salience effects on the abilities of aggressive and nonaggressive…

Assessed differences in self-perceptions, peer perceptions, and attributions of relative responsibility for aggressive and nonagressive boys. Used semantic differential ratings following brief competitive dyadic discussion, and observer ratings. Perceptual and attributional biases operated in social interactions. Unlike nonaggressive boys,…

Compared two Anger Coping group interventions using cognitive-behavioral and social problem-solving training with aggressive boys to control condition. One intervention included teacher consultation component to enhance teachers' behavioral management skills. Treated boys displayed significant improvements in disruptive-aggressive off-task…

Group treatment based on cognitive-behavioral and social problem solving strategies has been found to produce significant improvement in aggressive children. To investigate the association between clients' initial behavioral and subjective characteristics and the degree of improvement displayed on behavioral measures over the treatment period, 76…