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Observational, Physiological, and Self–Report Measures of Children’s Anger: Relations to Reactive versus Proactive Aggression
Author(s) -
Hubbard Julie A.,
Smithmyer Catherine M.,
Ramsden Sally R.,
Parker Elizabeth H.,
Flanagan Kelly D.,
Dearing Karen F.,
Relyea Nicole,
Simons Robert F.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
child development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.103
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1467-8624
pISSN - 0009-3920
DOI - 10.1111/1467-8624.00460
Subject(s) - aggression , psychology , anger , developmental psychology , observational study , nonverbal communication , reactivity (psychology) , skin conductance , poison control , injury prevention , human factors and ergonomics , social psychology , clinical psychology , medical emergency , medicine , alternative medicine , pathology , biomedical engineering
The goal of this study was to examine the relations of reactive versus proactive aggression to children’s anger, as assessed using observational, physiological, and self–report measures. Anger was hypothesized to be related to reactive aggression, but not to proactive aggression. Children ( N = 272 second–grade boys and girls) participated in a procedure in which they lost a board game and prize to a confederate who cheated. Skin conductance reactivity and heart rate reactivity were measured throughout the procedure. Following the interaction, children viewed a videotape of the game and self–reported on their level of anger after each turn of the game. Observational coding of children’s angry facial expressions and angry nonverbal behaviors was conducted. Reactive aggression, but not proactive aggression, was positively related to skin conductance reactivity and angry nonverbal behaviors, both at an aggregated level and in terms of rate of increase over the time span of the game.