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Peer Rejection and Social Information‐Processing Factors in the Development of Aggressive Behavior Problems in Children
Author(s) -
Dodge Kenneth A.,
Lansford Jennifer E.,
Burks Virginia Salzer,
Bates John E.,
Pettit Gregory S.,
Fontaine Reid,
Price Joseph M.
Publication year - 2003
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 - 10.1111/1467-8624.7402004
Subject(s) - aggression , psychology , developmental psychology , mediation , social rejection , social information processing , peer relations , social change , peer group , social relation , social psychology , cognition , neuroscience , political science , law , economics , economic growth
The relation between social rejection and growth in antisocial behavior was investigated. In Study 1, 259 boys and girls (34% African American) were followed from Grades 1 to 3 (ages 6–8 years) to Grades 5 to 7 (ages 10–12 years). Early peer rejection predicted growth in aggression. In Study 2, 585 boys and girls (16% African American) were followed from kindergarten to Grade 3 (ages 5–8 years), and findings were replicated. Furthermore, early aggression moderated the effect of rejection, such that rejection exacerbated antisocial development only among children initially disposed toward aggression. In Study 3, social information‐processing patterns measured in Study 1 were found to mediate partially the effect of early rejection on later aggression. In Study 4, processing patterns measured in Study 2 replicated the mediation effect. Findings are integrated into a recursive model of antisocial development.