Development of social problem-solving strategies and changes in aggressive behavior: A 7-year follow-up from childhood to late adolescence
✍ Scribed by Liisa Keltikangas-Järvinen; Laura Pakaslahti
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 1999
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 77 KB
- Volume
- 25
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0096-140X
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
✦ Synopsis
The aim of this study was to predict a stability of aggressive behavior on the basis of social problem-solving strategies. Subjects were a total of 120 children, but complete follow-up data were available only in 47 cases. Their aggressive behaviors were peer rated, and problem-solving strategies were assessed in childhood subjects being 10 years on average, and 7 years later. Association between a development of social strategies and changes in aggressive behavior was studied with personality-oriented pattern analyses. The main finding was that a development of strategies predicted a stability or changes of aggressive behavior very well. Aggressive strategies, both in childhood and in adolescence, as well as a lack of constructive alternatives characterized permanently aggressive subjects. Turning from nonaggressive to aggressive behavior was also explained by aggressive problem-solving strategies, while a positive development, i.e., turning from childhood aggressive to adolescent nonaggressive behavior, was possible only if a person had never used aggressive strategies. Agreement between behavior and strategies was higher among girls. The findings supported a claim that intervention of aggressive behavior may be possible by modifying social strategies.