Capaldi,
D. M., Shortt, J. W. , & Crosby, L. (2003). Physical and Psychological
Aggression in At-Risk Young Couples: Stability and Change in Young
Adulthood. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 49, 1-27.
Abstract:
Physical and psychological aggression was examined over a 2 1/2-year
period for at-risk young couples. It was predicted, first, that
there would be persistence in any physical aggression across time
in the group of couples who stayed together; second, that stability
in levels of aggression toward a partner would be higher for men
who remained with the same partner compared to men who repartnered;
third, that increases in levels of aggression would occur over
time for couples with the same partners; and fourth, that changes
in aggression over time would be concordant for couples. Measures
of aggression included reports of aggression and observed aggression.
Findings indicated considerable stability in aggression for the
same-, but not for the different-, partner group.
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Leff,
S. S., Kupersmidt, J. B., & Power, T. J. (2003). An Initial
Examination of Girls' Cognitions of Their Relationally Aggressive
Peers as a Function of Their Own Social Standing. Merrill-Palmer
Quarterly 49, 28-54.
Abstract:
The primary aim of the present study was to examine girls' cognitions
of their relationally aggressive peers as a function of their
own relationally aggressive and sociometric status. Participants
were 151 4th - and 5th -grade girls attending four public elementary
schools. Findings suggest that relationally aggressive girls tend
to display a relatively cautious and wary social cognitive style
in relationally provocative social situations. For example, they
view relationally aggressive behaviors as being relatively stable
and unchanging, and they exhibit little trust for peers who exhibit
a similar behavioral style. Results suggest that rejected girls
may exhibit markedly different social processing styles depending
upon whether they are also relationally aggressive themselves.
For instance, rejected-relational aggressors appear to interpret
others' negative behaviors as being quite intentional. In contrast,
rejected-nonrelational aggressors demonstrate relatively high
levels of trust for peers who treat them poorly while also interpreting
these peers' behaviors as being relatively unintentional. Implications
for designing multilevel interventions to combat relational aggressive
problems are discussed.
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McDowell,
D. J., Parke, R. D., & Wang, S. J. (2003). Differences Between
Mothers' and Fathers' Advice-Giving Style and Content: Relations
With Social Competence and Psychological Functioning Behavior in
Middle Childhood. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 49, 55-76.
Abstract:
The current study examines the relation between mothers' and fathers'
advice-giving style and content and children's social competence
and psychosocial functioning at a single time point and across
a 1-year period. Fifty-eight 3rd -grade children (50% Euro American,
40% Latino, and 10% African American, Asian American, or other)
participated at Time 1 in this short-term longitudinal study.
At Time 2, 46 of these children participated. Parental advice-giving
style predicted social competence concurrently and one year later
above and beyond content. In addition, results also indicate that
fathers' advice giving predicted peer and teacher ratings of social
competence over and above mothers' advice giving both concurrently
and one year later. Parental advice-giving style was also related
to children's psychosocial functioning as measured by self-reports
of loneliness and depression.
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Nobes,
G. & Pawson, C. (2003). Children's Understanding of Social
Rules and Social Status. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 49, 77-99.
Abstract:
Children's understanding of social rules and authority was investigated
by asking 4-9 year-olds (N = 129) about stories in which the status
(adult or child) of rule inventors, transgressors, and changers
was varied. The rules were conventions invented by adults and
by children, cultural conventions, and morals. Judgments of transgressions
and, in particular, alterations, were influenced by status as
well as domain: Children considered transgressions and alterations
by children less permissible than by adults, and adult-invented
conventions less alterable than child-invented conventions. Alterations
of adults' rules by children were thought almost as illegitimate
as alterations of morals. Other influences on judgments included
children's age, story content, and whether a convention was cultural
or newly invented. These findings suggest an explanation of Piaget's
findings that differs from his own.
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Shipman,
K. L., Zeman, J., Nesin, A. E., & Fitzgerald, M. (2003). Children's
Strategies for Displaying Anger and Sadness: What Works With Whom?
Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 49, 100-122.
Abstract:
This study examined the influence of expressive strategies (i.e.,
verbal, facial, crying, sulking, and aggressive), emotion type
(i.e., anger, sadness), social context (i.e., mother, father,
best friend), age (i.e., 7, 10 years), and gender on 144 children's
expectancies regarding interpersonal responses to their emotional
expression. Participants included 72 boys and 72 girls, with an
average age of 8 years and 10 months. Results indicate that children
expect others to respond more positively to certain expressive
strategies (e.g., verbal, facial) as compared to others (e.g.,
aggression) and that these expectancies vary as a function of
the type of emotion experienced, the social context, age, and
gender. Consistent with the functionalist approach to emotion,
findings suggest that, through social interaction, children learn
culturally appropriate strategies for emotional expression that
facilitate their ability to elicit a desired response from social
partners.
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