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Hostile Attributional Bias In Aggression And Anxiety: The Role Of Perceived Provocateur Motivation, Melissa M. Kunimatsu Dec 2013

Hostile Attributional Bias In Aggression And Anxiety: The Role Of Perceived Provocateur Motivation, Melissa M. Kunimatsu

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Although internalizing and externalizing problems are often considered in isolation from one another, the frequently co-occur in individuals leading to unique behavior profiles. The current study examined the associations between the forms, functions, and subtypes of aggression, anxiety, hostile attributional bias (HAB), and perceived (proactive or reactive) provocateur motivation in a sample of youth (mean age = 13.84 years, 51% male, 37.5% Caucasian). Results indicated that only reactive relational aggression significantly predicted anxiety, while relational and reactive aggression did not. HAB was not significantly associated with either anxiety or any type of aggression. Perceived proactive provocateur motivation was significantly associated …


The Association Between Hostile Attribution Bias, Social Intelligence, And Relational Aggression In Detained Boys, Gregory M. Fassnacht Dec 2013

The Association Between Hostile Attribution Bias, Social Intelligence, And Relational Aggression In Detained Boys, Gregory M. Fassnacht

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Research on factors that contribute to the forms and functions of aggression (reactive, proactive, relational, and overt) is important for informing intervention efforts with aggressive youth. Previous research shows that aggressive youth often have cognitive and social deficits associated with their aggressive behavior. For example, aggressive youth may exhibit deficits in social variables such as social intelligence (i.e., the understanding of behaviors of people and ability to predict outcomes of situations). Hypothetically, this lack of social intelligence may be related to how youth interpret social situations, and could conceivably lead to hostile attributional bias, or the tendency to interpret ambiguous …


Family Processes As Moderators Of The Impact Of Peer, School, And Neighborhood Influences On Adolescent Aggression, Alison Kramer-Kuhn Dec 2013

Family Processes As Moderators Of The Impact Of Peer, School, And Neighborhood Influences On Adolescent Aggression, Alison Kramer-Kuhn

Theses and Dissertations

Despite theoretical support for the role of the family in providing a foundation to protect youth against risks for aggression, there is little published literature examining a protective influence. This study examined family functioning and perceived parental messages about fighting and nonviolence as moderators of the relation between risk factors and adolescent aggression. The specific risk factors included affiliating with a delinquent group of peers, attending a school with norms that support aggression, and witnessing violence within the community. Secondary analyses were conducted on data collected from a high-risk sample of 537 adolescents in 2 cohorts from 18 schools. Adolescents …


Children's Understanding And Experience Of Anger Within Their Peer Groups, Nicole J. Hamel Apr 2013

Children's Understanding And Experience Of Anger Within Their Peer Groups, Nicole J. Hamel

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The purpose of this study was to describe how children understand, experience and express their anger with others in their peer group, from their perspectives. Semi-structured focus groups were conducted with third grade students in an elementary school. Children were asked three questions: 1) What did you learn about dealing with anger this week? 2) What are some good/positive things that happened between you and your classmates this week? 3) What are some not so good or negative things that happened between you and your classmates this week? Six themes emerged from analysis of the transcripts of the semi-structured focus …


Emotional, Social, And Cognitive Correlates Of Stalking And Intrusive Harassment., Allissa Marquez Apr 2013

Emotional, Social, And Cognitive Correlates Of Stalking And Intrusive Harassment., Allissa Marquez

Department of Psychology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Although stalking has been recognized as social problem for the last twenty years, few studies have examined the treatment needs or effectiveness with these persistent offenders. The dearth of information on appropriate intervention is in part related to the difficulty of operationalizing stalking behavior in empirical studies. Accordingly, the present study sought to examine clinically relevant indicators of functioning using both categorical and continuous definitions of stalking behavior. Two hundred and fifty male prisoners were surveyed about their engagement in intrusive and aggressive behaviors during a significant conflict, as well as their social, emotional, and cognitive functioning. Results indicated quantitative …


Form And Functionality Of Playful Aggression In Young Adults, Catlin H. Dennis Apr 2013

Form And Functionality Of Playful Aggression In Young Adults, Catlin H. Dennis

Scripps Senior Theses

Ethological and developmental studies have demonstrated the presence and importance of playful aggression for primates and children; additional studies suggest that playful aggression is also present in adulthood but is adapted and incorporated into relationships in different ways than it previously was in childhood. Little is known about young adults’ perceptions of playful aggression in romantic relationships, especially among same-sex couples. This study investigated perceptions of aggression when the sexual orientation of the couple, the severity of aggression, and the response of the recipient, who was receiving the aggression, were manipulated in a series of scenarios. Young adults, ages 18 …


The Impact Of Home Visitor Relationship Quality On Parenting And Child Outcomes: Does Maternal Age Matter?, Elizabeth A. Colsey Apr 2013

The Impact Of Home Visitor Relationship Quality On Parenting And Child Outcomes: Does Maternal Age Matter?, Elizabeth A. Colsey

Senior Honors Theses

Early Head Start (EHS) is an early intervention program that seeks to mitigate the effects of risk for those families with young children. Consistent with attachment theory, the home visiting component of EHS targets parent-child relationships in order to combat negative child outcomes. Research indicates that children of adolescent mothers are susceptible to poor outcomes both in childhood and adulthood. The current study utilized EHS data from 1198 parent-child dyads to assess the indirect relationship of home visitor quality on child aggression through parent quality, as moderated by maternal age. Findings indicated that home visitor quality may have a greater …


Does Botox Buffer The Negative Effects Of Social Rejection?: A Test Of The Facial Feedback Hypothesis, Vicki Sharif Jan 2013

Does Botox Buffer The Negative Effects Of Social Rejection?: A Test Of The Facial Feedback Hypothesis, Vicki Sharif

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Can a common facial cosmetic procedure buffer against the negative impact of adverse social interactions? This pilot tested the hypothesis that an injection of botulinum toxin (Botox) to the corrugator supercilii muscles used in anger, compared to a placebo injection to the same location, will reduce the impact of social rejection on mood, self-esteem, control, meaningful existence, and aggression. Freezing facial musculature was hypothesized to alter the first physical signal of negative emotional reactions, thereby reducing the impact of social rejection on distress and aggression. This was the first study using Botox to examine the effects of reduced facial feedback …


Attitudes Towards The Use Of Violence And Partner Directed Aggression, Joel G. Sprunger Jan 2013

Attitudes Towards The Use Of Violence And Partner Directed Aggression, Joel G. Sprunger

Open Access Theses

The present prospective study examined implicit and explicit attitudes toward the use of violence and their capacity to predict past and future partner-directed aggression in a nonclinical sample. Implicit violence attitudes were measured using a modified version of the Implicit Association Test. A battery of commonly-utilized explicit self-report measures indexed explicit attitudes toward intimate partner violence (IPV). Measurement of violence attitudes occurred prior to engaging in the Articulated Thoughts in Simulated Situations behavioral aggression paradigm. Participants (N = 81) were randomly assigned to conditions of imagined provocative (n = 48) or non-provocative (n = 33) relationship scenarios and given the …


Community Violence Exposure Among Underprivileged Adolescents : What Are The Buffering Effects Of Family Qualities On Negative Outcomes?, Katherine Marie Harrison Jan 2013

Community Violence Exposure Among Underprivileged Adolescents : What Are The Buffering Effects Of Family Qualities On Negative Outcomes?, Katherine Marie Harrison

LSU Master's Theses

Crime and violence are common in impoverished neighborhoods. Consequently, many youth are at risk for victimization and witnessing violent acts. Extensive research has established the presence of significant associations between violence exposure and aggression and posttraumatic stress symptoms among youth. Research has confirmed the protective role of several family characteristics against these negative outcomes despite adversity. However, the literature investigating the buffering effects of family in the relationship between community violence exposure and aggressive behavior and posttraumatic stress symptoms is limited. The current study examined the moderating effect of family factors such as household structure, social support, and parenting techniques …


Do Self-Control Depletion And Negative Emotion Contribute To Intimate Partner Aggression? A Lab-Based Study, Laura E. Watkins, David Dilillo, Lesa Hoffman, Jonathan Templin Jan 2013

Do Self-Control Depletion And Negative Emotion Contribute To Intimate Partner Aggression? A Lab-Based Study, Laura E. Watkins, David Dilillo, Lesa Hoffman, Jonathan Templin

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Objective: Intimate partner aggression (IPA) is a serious problem among dating couples. The present study examined dyadic and situational processes that may lead to IPA perpetration among a sample of 59 heterosexual couples (total n = 118), within the framework of Finkel’s I3 model. Method: IPA was assessed using an in vivo aggression task, in the context of a weak inhibiting factor (self-control depletion) and a strong impellance factor (negative emotion) generated during in vivo verbal conflict between partners (functioning as an instigating trigger). Results: Actor–partner interdependence model analyses demonstrated that negative emotion (prediscussion and reactivity) positively predicted men’s …


Cognitive Systems For Revenge And Forgiveness, Michael E. Mccullough, Robert Kurzban, Benjamin A. Tabak Jan 2013

Cognitive Systems For Revenge And Forgiveness, Michael E. Mccullough, Robert Kurzban, Benjamin A. Tabak

ESI Publications

Minimizing the costs that others impose upon oneself and upon those in whom one has a fitness stake, such as kin and allies, is a key adaptive problem for many organisms. Our ancestors regularly faced such adaptive problems (including homicide, bodily harm, theft, mate poaching, cuckoldry, reputational damage, sexual aggression, and the infliction of these costs on one's offspring, mates, coalition partners, or friends). One solution to this problem is to impose retaliatory costs on an aggressor so that the aggressor and other observers will lower their estimates of the net benefits to be gained from exploiting the retaliator in …


Forgiving Warriors: Does Outgroup Threat Reduce Ingroup Aggression Among Males?, David Chester Jan 2013

Forgiving Warriors: Does Outgroup Threat Reduce Ingroup Aggression Among Males?, David Chester

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

In order to defend against outgroups, males and females respond to outgroup threat with different strategies. Specifically, males have been shown to respond to outgroup threat with increased ingroup solidarity and cooperation which is likely reflective of their ancestral role as warriors. What remains unknown is whether this cooperative warrior mindset among males not only increases ingroup prosociality, but also decreases ingroup aggression. Aggression against ingroup members under outgroup threat would likely disadvantage the ingroup by reducing the ingroup’s collective formidability. Further, prosocial motivations inhibit aggression. As such, I hypothesized that sex and outgroup threat would interact such that males, …