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Aggression and Self‐Esteem: A Diary Study of Children's Reactivity to Negative Interpersonal Events
Author(s) -
Esposito Alison J.,
Kobak Roger,
Little Michelle
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
journal of personality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.082
H-Index - 144
eISSN - 1467-6494
pISSN - 0022-3506
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-6494.2005.00332.x
Subject(s) - aggression , psychology , reactivity (psychology) , self esteem , developmental psychology , interpersonal communication , intervention (counseling) , clinical psychology , social psychology , psychiatry , medicine , alternative medicine , pathology
The study employs a daily diary design to assess self‐esteem reactivity and its association with children's aggressive behavior. We test the hypothesis that the self‐esteem of aggressive children will be more reactive to negative interpersonal events than the self‐esteem of nonaggressive children. Results provide partial support for the aggression/reactivity hypothesis. Aggressive children's self‐esteem was more reactive to negative peer events but less reactive to negative adult events than the self‐esteem of less aggressive children. These findings are discussed in relation to the experimental literature relating self‐esteem instability and ego‐threat to aggression and in relation to the extensive body of research on childhood aggression. Intervention implications are also considered.