Cognitive mediators of aggression in adolescent offenders. I: Assessment

The role of cognitive mediators in identifying differences in aggression was examined. Male and female adolescents incarcerated for antisocial aggression offenses and high-school students rated as either high or low in aggression were compared in terms of two sets of cognitive mediators: skills in solving social problems and beliefs supporting aggression. Antisocial-aggressive individuals were most likely (and low-aggressive individuals were least likely) to solve social problems by: defining problems in hostile ways; adopting hostile goals; seeking few additional facts; generating few alternative solutions; anticipating few consequences for aggression; and choosing few "best" and "second best" solutions that were rated as "effective." Antisocial-aggressive individuals were also most likely to hold a set of beliefs supporting the use of aggression, including beliefs that aggression: is a legitimate response; increases self-esteem; helps avoid a negative image; and does not lead to suffering by the victim. The ways in which these findings further elaborate a model of social-cognitive development and extend it to antisocial-aggressive adolescents are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)