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Perino MT, Harper-Lednicky JC, Vogel AC, Sylvester CM, Barch DM, Luby JL. Social anxiety moderates the association between adolescent irritability and bully perpetration. Dev Psychopathol 2024:1-8. [PMID: 38476047 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579424000439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Preliminary work suggests anxiety moderates the relationship between irritability and bullying. As anxiety increases, the link between irritability and perpetration decreases. We hypothesize that any moderation effect of anxiety is driven by social anxiety symptoms. We sought to explicate the moderating effect of anxiety, while clarifying relations to other aggressive behaviors. METHODS A sample of adolescents (n = 169, mean = 12.42 years of age) were assessed using clinician rated assessments of anxiety, parent reports of irritability and bullying behaviors (perpetration, generalized aggression, and victimization). Correlations assessed zero-order relations between variables, and regression-based moderation analyses were used to test interactions. Johnson-Neyman methods were used to represent significant interactions. RESULTS Irritability was significantly related to bullying (r = .403, p < .001). Social, but not generalized, anxiety symptoms significantly moderated the effect of irritability on bully perpetration (t(160) = -2.94, b = -.01, p = .0038, ΔR2 = .0229, F(1, 160) = 8.635). As social anxiety symptoms increase, the link between irritability and perpetration decreases. CONCLUSIONS Understanding how psychopathology interacts with social behaviors is of great importance. Higher social anxiety is linked to reduced relations between irritability and bullying; however, the link between irritability and other aggression remains positive. Comprehensively assessing how treatment of psychopathology impacts social behaviors may improve future intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael T Perino
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | | | - Alecia C Vogel
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Chad M Sylvester
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Deanna M Barch
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Psychology and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Joan L Luby
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
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Rix K, Monks CP, O'Toole S. Theory of Mind and Young Children's Behaviour: Aggressive, Victimised, Prosocial, and Solitary. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:ijerph20105892. [PMID: 37239617 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20105892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Theory of mind (ToM) undergoes significant developments during childhood, particularly between the ages of four and seven years. A growing body of research has indicated that children's social understanding may be related to their social behaviour with peers, in line with Theory Theory which proposes that children's social cognition is influenced by and influences their peer interactions. The current study examined the relationship between ToM and behaviour among 193 children aged 4-7 years. Children carried out a battery of ToM tasks, and teaching staff reported on children's aggressive, prosocial, and solitary behaviour and victimisation experiences. Aggression was not directly related to ToM; prosocial behaviour was positively associated with ToM for girls but not boys. Solitary behaviour and victimisation were negatively related to ToM. When this was broken down by gender, there was only a significant association between solitary behaviour and ToM for boys. When controlling for the relationship between behaviours, the only significant predictor of ToM was solitary behaviour for boys. ToM was also a significant predictor of solitary behaviour for boys, demonstrating that there is a bidirectional relationship at play. The findings highlight the importance of looking across these four behaviour types and understanding the relationship between behaviour profiles and ToM for boys and girls separately.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie Rix
- School of Psychology & Counselling, Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences, The Open University, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK
| | - Claire P Monks
- Institute for Lifecourse Development, School of Human Sciences, University of Greenwich, London SE10 9LS, UK
| | - Sarah O'Toole
- Department of Civil, Environmental & Geomatic Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Science, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
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Li Z, Sturge-Apple ML, Platts CR, Davies PT. Testing different sources of environmental unpredictability on adolescent functioning: ancestral cue versus statistical learning and the role of temperament. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2023; 64:437-448. [PMID: 36326177 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The dimensional model of environmental adversity highlighted the effects of an unpredictable environment in promoting risky development. Toward gaining greater specificity in understanding, this multimethod, longitudinal study investigated the role of two sources of environmental unpredictability-ancestral cues versus statistical learning, and their interaction with dove temperament conceptualized within the evolutionary model of temperament, in shaping adolescent functioning. METHODS Participants were 192 families with an adolescent (Mage = 12.4) followed for two annual waves. We measured unpredictability within the ancestral-cue approach as incidents of disruptive family events, and statistical-learning unpredictability as the random variability in observed moment-to-moment maternal hostility during parent-child interaction. We focused on dove temperament, which characterizes strategies of cautious and inhibited behavior in novel contexts and persistence and intrinsic engagement in benign contexts. RESULTS Findings indicated unique effects of ancestral-cue versus statistical-learning unpredictability-in interaction with dove temperament-in association with adolescent functioning. Ancestral-cue unpredictability interacted with dove temperament in association with vagal stress reactivity, and the interactive effects of statistical-learning unpredictability were only associated with set-shifting. Furthermore, the family instability-x-dove temperament interaction was linked to adolescent adjustment via vagal reactivity. Adolescents with lower dove temperament showed dampened vagal reactivity within the more unpredictable environments, which was in turn associated with a greater decrease in social withdrawal over time. CONCLUSIONS The findings highlighted the specificity in different sources of environmental unpredictability in shaping adolescent development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi Li
- Peking University, Beijing, China
| | | | - Cory R Platts
- Mt. Hope Family Center, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
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4
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Lent MC, Perry KJ, Blakely‐McClure SJ, Buck C, Murray‐Close D, Ostrov JM. Autonomic nervous system reactivity and preschoolers' social dominance. Dev Psychobiol 2022; 64:e22336. [PMID: 36426790 PMCID: PMC9828209 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of skin conductance level reactivity (SCLR) and respiratory sinus arrhythmia reactivity (RSAR) in preschoolers' social dominance, as well as potential gender differences in these associations. Reactivity was assessed in response to viewing videos of social exclusion and a post-aggression discussion. In a community sample of 94 preschool children followed over one calendar year, reactivity to the post-aggression discussion, but not exclusion, video was related to social dominance. Specifically, increased RSAR to the post-aggression discussion video was positively associated with concurrent social dominance for both boys and girls. Longitudinally, for boys only, coactivation (i.e., increases in SCLR accompanied by increases in RSAR) to the post-aggression discussion video, which may reflect dysregulated, emotionally labile reactions to stress, was associated with relatively low levels of social dominance across the course of the year. Overall, findings contribute to a growing literature documenting the role of autonomic reactivity in preschoolers' social adjustment and extend this work to their capacity to achieve and maintain socially dominant positions with peers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria C. Lent
- Department of Psychological ScienceUniversity of VermontBurlingtonVermontUSA
| | - Kristin J. Perry
- Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research CenterThe Pennsylvania State University, State CollegePennsylvaniaUSA
| | | | - Casey Buck
- Department of Psychological ScienceUniversity of VermontBurlingtonVermontUSA
| | - Dianna Murray‐Close
- Department of Psychological ScienceUniversity of VermontBurlingtonVermontUSA
| | - Jamie M. Ostrov
- Department of PsychologyUniversity at Buffalo, The State University of New YorkBuffaloNew YorkUSA
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5
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Jantzer V, Ossa FC, Eppelmann L, Parzer P, Resch F, Kaess M. Under the skin: does psychiatric outcome of bullying victimization in school persist over time? A prospective intervention study. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2022; 63:646-654. [PMID: 34396522 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Research has shown a direct path between peer victimization and poor mental health outcomes. However, the impact of bullying prevention on mental health is a largely unexplored field. Therefore, our study examined the longitudinal association between bullying development and trajectories of psychiatric symptoms (emotional problems, total difficulties, nonsuicidal self-injury, and suicidality) and health-related quality of life (HRQL) during the implementation of school-based bullying prevention. METHODS Data of 4,873 pupils (grades 5-13) were collected in 23 schools implementing the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program (OBPP). Self-report questionnaires were administered at three annual assessment waves and individual codes enabled the association of repeated assessments to the same pupil. Latent growth curve models (LGCMs) were used to examine the relation among bullying status and mental health outcome with mixed-effects linear regressions estimating the association of changes in bullying with changes in continuous scores and mixed-effects logistic regressions for categorical variables. RESULTS Latent growth curve models revealed an improvement of mental health and HRQL through the termination of bullying for every outcome variable of interest (all p < .001). Correspondingly, we found an explicit increase in psychopathology as well as decrease in HRQL within one year as a result of developing victimization (all p < .001). Interestingly, the growth of psychopathology associated with the onset of bullying was significantly steeper than its decline associated with the termination of bullying. The postulated cumulative effect of ongoing bullying for a further year could only be shown for HRQL (p = .025) and total difficulties (p = .034), but not for specific mental health problems (all p > .117). CONCLUSIONS Latent growth curve models clearly showed that the adverse psychosocial consequences of bullying arise quickly but seem to reduce much slower and partly persist over time. Future long-term studies are necessary to clarify if mental health problems will return to baseline after several years or if residual symptoms will remain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Jantzer
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Fanny C Ossa
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.,Faculty of Behavioral and Cultural Studies, Institute of Psychology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Lena Eppelmann
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Peter Parzer
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Franz Resch
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Michael Kaess
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.,University Hospital of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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Frankenhuis WE, Amir D. What is the expected human childhood? Insights from evolutionary anthropology. Dev Psychopathol 2022; 34:473-497. [PMID: 34924077 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579421001401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
In psychological research, there are often assumptions about the conditions that children expect to encounter during their development. These assumptions shape prevailing ideas about the experiences that children are capable of adjusting to, and whether their responses are viewed as impairments or adaptations. Specifically, the expected childhood is often depicted as nurturing and safe, and characterized by high levels of caregiver investment. Here, we synthesize evidence from history, anthropology, and primatology to challenge this view. We integrate the findings of systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and cross-cultural investigations on three forms of threat (infanticide, violent conflict, and predation) and three forms of deprivation (social, cognitive, and nutritional) that children have faced throughout human evolution. Our results show that mean levels of threat and deprivation were higher than is typical in industrialized societies, and that our species has experienced much variation in the levels of these adversities across space and time. These conditions likely favored a high degree of phenotypic plasticity, or the ability to tailor development to different conditions. This body of evidence has implications for recognizing developmental adaptations to adversity, for cultural variation in responses to adverse experiences, and for definitions of adversity and deprivation as deviation from the expected human childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Willem E Frankenhuis
- Department of Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law, Germany
| | - Dorsa Amir
- Department of Psychology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, USA
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7
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Salmivalli C, Laninga‐Wijnen L, Malamut ST, Garandeau CF. Bullying Prevention in Adolescence: Solutions and New Challenges from the Past Decade. JOURNAL OF RESEARCH ON ADOLESCENCE : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR RESEARCH ON ADOLESCENCE 2021; 31:1023-1046. [PMID: 34820956 PMCID: PMC9271952 DOI: 10.1111/jora.12688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Bullying among youth at school continues to be a global challenge. Being exposed to bullying may be especially hurtful in adolescence, a vulnerable period during which both peer group belonging and status become key concerns. In the current review, we first summarize the effectiveness of the solutions that were offered a decade ago in the form of anti-bullying programs. We proceed by highlighting some intriguing challenges concomitant to, or emerging from these solutions, focusing especially on their relevance during adolescence. These challenges are related to (1) the relatively weak, and highly variable effects of anti-bullying programs, (2) the complex associations among bullying, victimization, and social status, (3) the questions raised regarding the beneficial (or possibly iatrogenic) effects of peer defending, and (4) the healthy context paradox, that is, the phenomenon of remaining or emerging victims being worse off in contexts where the average levels of victimization decrease. We end by providing some suggestions for the next decade of research in the area of bullying prevention among adolescents.
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Demol K, Verschueren K, Ten Bokkel IM, van Gils FE, Colpin H. Trajectory Classes of Relational and Physical Bullying Victimization: Links with Peer and Teacher-Student Relationships and Social-Emotional Outcomes. J Youth Adolesc 2021; 51:1354-1373. [PMID: 34843081 DOI: 10.1007/s10964-021-01544-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Bullying victimization is a prevalent problem in upper elementary school that predicts various detrimental outcomes. Increasing evidence suggests that interindividual differences in the severity of these outcomes result from differences in victimization experiences. However, longitudinal research largely overlooked victimization forms. Additionally, it is unclear how the quality of students' relationships with peers and teachers functions as a risk or protective factor for different patterns of victimization development. This one-year longitudinal study investigated joint trajectories of relational and physical victimization and examined differences between these trajectory classes regarding classroom social relationships as possible antecedents and social-emotional well-being as a possible outcome. A sample of 930 fourth to sixth graders (55 classes, 53.1% girls, Mage = 10.55, SD = 0.90) completed self-reports about relational and physical victimization and social-emotional outcomes (i.e., depressive symptoms, self-esteem). Peer nominations were used to measure the social antecedents (i.e., peer rejection and acceptance, teacher-student closeness and conflict). A 3-step approach including Latent Class Growth Analyses and Growth Mixture Modeling yielded two trajectory classes. Most students experienced low, decreasing relational and physical victimization. A smaller group experienced higher, generally stable victimization, more relational than physical. Younger students and girls were more likely to be members of the latter class. This class was more rejected, less accepted, reported more depressive symptoms and lower self-esteem. Teacher-student closeness and conflict were similar across classes. The current study showed that relational and physical victimization followed a largely parallel development. Low social status was found to be a risk factor for belonging to a victimization trajectory that is characterized by stable levels of both relational and physical victimization, with higher levels of the relational form.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karlien Demol
- School Psychology and Development in Context, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven Tiensestraat 102 box 3717, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Karine Verschueren
- School Psychology and Development in Context, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven Tiensestraat 102 box 3717, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Isabel M Ten Bokkel
- School Psychology and Development in Context, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven Tiensestraat 102 box 3717, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Fleur E van Gils
- School Psychology and Development in Context, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven Tiensestraat 102 box 3717, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Hilde Colpin
- School Psychology and Development in Context, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven Tiensestraat 102 box 3717, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
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9
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Heck IA, Bas J, Kinzler KD. Small groups lead, big groups control: Perceptions of numerical group size, power, and status across development. Child Dev 2021; 93:194-208. [PMID: 34661281 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Participants (N = 384 three- to ten-year-olds; 51% girls, 49% boys; 73% White, 18% multiracial/other, 5% Asian, and 3% Black; N = 610 adults) saw depictions of 20 individuals split into two social groups (1:19; 2:18; 5:15; or 8:12 per group) and selected which group was "in charge" (Experiment 1), "the leader" (Experiment 2), or likely to "get the stuff" (resources) in a conflict (Experiment 3). Whereas participants across ages predicted the larger group would "get the stuff," a tendency to view smaller groups as "in charge" and "the leader" strengthened with age and when the smaller group was rarer. These findings suggest the perceived relation between numerical group size and hierarchy is flexible and inform theory regarding the developmental trajectories of reasoning about power and status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isobel A Heck
- Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Jesús Bas
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
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Heck IA, Santhanagopalan R, Cimpian A, Kinzler KD. An Integrative Developmental Framework for Studying Gender Inequities in Politics. PSYCHOLOGICAL INQUIRY 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/1047840x.2021.1932984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Isobel A. Heck
- Department of Psychology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | | | - Andrei Cimpian
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, New York, USA
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Tharp JA, Johnson SL, Dev A. Transdiagnostic Approach to the Dominance Behavioral System. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2021; 176. [PMID: 33746322 DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2021.110778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jordan A Tharp
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley
| | - Sheri L Johnson
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley
| | - Amelia Dev
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley
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12
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Social advantages and disadvantages associated with cyber aggression-victimization: A latent class analysis. COMPUTERS IN HUMAN BEHAVIOR 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2020.106497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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Vermande MM, Sterck EHM. How to Get the Biggest Slice of the Cake. A Comparative View of Social Behaviour and Resource Access in Human Children and Nonhuman Primates. Front Psychol 2020; 11:584815. [PMID: 33250823 PMCID: PMC7673353 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.584815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Social complexity results from engaging in different classes of social behaviour. The presence of different classes of social behaviour is reflected in multidimensional concepts of social asymmetry, found in both human and nonhuman primates. Based on an overview of such concepts, we propose that three classes of social behaviour are involved in having access to scarce and desired resources: next to aggressive and affiliative behaviour, also action indicating behaviour (i.e., inspire another individual to follow one's example or intentions) may lead to resource access. Studies with nonhuman primate and human children show that the contribution of aggression and affiliation to resource access has been widely documented and that there is initial support for action indicating behaviour. In addition, the studies show similarities and differences in conceptualization and approach that may inspire future research. Future research should address the (in)dependency of the behavioural dimensions, their relative importance, individual differences in combined expression and the type of resources accessed. Only a multi-dimensional view on behaviour leading to resource access will highlight the benefits of social complexity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marjolijn M. Vermande
- Department of Child and Adolescent Studies, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
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Lee SH. Kindergarten Teachers' Perspectives on Young Children's Bullying Roles in Relation to Dominance and Peer Relationships: A Short-Term Longitudinal Approach in South Korea. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17051734. [PMID: 32155872 PMCID: PMC7084531 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17051734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2020] [Revised: 03/01/2020] [Accepted: 03/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
There are several studies on young children's bullying roles in relation to dominance or peer relationships. Although those are closely related, few studies examined this from longitudinal view and the influence of bullying role change on dominance and peer relationships. This study aimed to examine (1) the relationship between bullying roles and dominance, (2) the relationship between bullying roles and peer relationships, (3) the percentage of bullying role change over time, and (4) the changes in bullying roles in relation to changes in dominance and peer relationships. Sixty-three South Korean kindergarten teachers completed questionnaires regarding bullying roles, dominance, and peer relationships about 1312 children aged 3-5. The data were collected in mid-October 2017 and January 2018. The results showed that bullies had the highest dominance. No-role children had the most positive peer relationships, followed by bullies. About 10% of all sampled children remained involved in bullying over time. Their role changes related to changes in dominance rather than to changes in peer relationships. The findings imply that dominance should be considered to prevent young children's bullying, in which peer relationships are interrelated. Intervention should be implemented as soon as possible to stop repeated victimization or bullying in early childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seung-Ha Lee
- Department of Early Childhood Education, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974, Korea
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15
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Lapierre KR, Dane AV. Cyberbullying, cyber aggression, and cyber victimization in relation to adolescents' dating and sexual behavior: An evolutionary perspective. Aggress Behav 2020; 46:49-59. [PMID: 31463960 DOI: 10.1002/ab.21864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2018] [Revised: 03/16/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
This study examined adolescents' cyberbullying, cyber aggression, and cyber victimization from an evolutionary perspective, extending previous research showing that traditional forms of bullying, aggression, and victimization are associated with reproductively relevant outcomes. Consistent with hypotheses based on theory and research linking bullying and aggression to intrasexual competition for mates, results indicated that cyber victimization was positively associated with a number of dating and sexual partners. Findings for cyber aggression were more complex, depending on the degree of cyber victimization experienced by the perpetrator, and the balance of power between the perpetrator and victim. Specifically, nonbullying cyber aggression by perpetrators with equal or less power than the victim had stronger positive relations with the number of dating or sexual partners when perpetrators experienced a high level of cyber victimhood. In contrast, cyberbullying by perpetrators with more power than the victim was negatively associated with the number of dating partners when the perpetrators' exposure to cyber victimization was low. Although cyber aggression and cyber victimization are new forms of aggression that involve the use of modern electronic devices, the results of this study demonstrate the usefulness of viewing this behavior from an evolutionary perspective and show that adolescents are likely to use cyber aggression against rivals in the context of intrasexual competition for mates.
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16
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Cheetham-Blake TJ, Family HE, Turner-Cobb JM. 'Every day I worry about something': A qualitative exploration of children's experiences of stress and coping. Br J Health Psychol 2019; 24:931-952. [PMID: 31449737 PMCID: PMC6899840 DOI: 10.1111/bjhp.12387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2019] [Revised: 07/21/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Most research investigating children's experiences of stress and coping has utilized a quantitative approach. This study aimed to examine children's experiences of stress by conducting interviews with children and their parents. DESIGN Dyadic child-parent interviews, embedded within a multiphase design. METHODS Thirty-eight children (22 boys) aged 7-11 years and 38 parents (34 mothers) completed in-depth dyadic interviews about stressful life events, adversity, and coping, analysed using inductive thematic analysis with a phenomenological lens. RESULTS Four themes emerged: (1) navigating the social minefield; (2) pressure to thrive in the modern world; (3) fear of the unknown; and (4) learning life's lessons. The first suggested that social relationships are a major feature of children's stress experiences; however, social support was also found to be a beneficial coping mechanism. The second theme highlighted multiple sources of pressure on young children (including school, extracurricular activities, pressure from self and others); the impact of such pressure was dependent upon children's coping resources. The third theme emphasized the difficulty of coping with novel stressors, and how awareness can help reduce this fear. The final theme highlighted important lessons that children can learn from stressful experiences and how to cope with stress. CONCLUSIONS This study addresses the importance of the person and context-dependent nature of stress and coping in order for children to survive and thrive following stressful experiences. These findings contribute to existing knowledge that could be used to develop a toolkit for coping with stress, designed specifically for children, parents, schools, and services. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Stress experienced in childhood can have a significant impact on psychological and physiological outcomes across the life course. It is known that individual differences are vital for understanding the effects of stress on health, for children as well as adults. Qualitative methods enable deeper understanding of children's experiences of stress and coping. What does the study add? Depth and breadth to understanding children's experiences of stressful events. An individual differences focus on the early stress experience that is frequently overlooked. Support for the use of a dyadic interview approach for assessing children's stress experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hannah E Family
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Bath, UK
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17
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Thomsen L. The developmental origins of social hierarchy: how infants and young children mentally represent and respond to power and status. Curr Opin Psychol 2019; 33:201-208. [PMID: 31783337 DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2019.07.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2019] [Accepted: 07/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The learnability problem of social life suggests that innate mental representations and motives to navigate adaptive relationships have evolved. Like other species, preverbal human infants form dominance hierarchies where some systematically supplant others in zero-sum conflict, and use the formidability cues of body and coalition size, as well as previous win-lose history, to predict who will prevail. Like other primates, human toddlers also seek to affiliate with allies of high rank, but unlike bonobos they pay unique attention whether others voluntarily defer to their precedence, reflecting the importance of consensual authority in cooperative human society. However, young children appear not to readily infer authority from benevolence, and expectations for inequality correlate with unwillingness to share resources even among infants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lotte Thomsen
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Problemveien 7, 0315 Oslo, Norway; Department of Political Science, Aarhus University, Bartholins Allé 7, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
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Infants Choose Those Who Defer in Conflicts. Curr Biol 2019; 29:2183-2189.e5. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.05.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2018] [Revised: 04/20/2019] [Accepted: 05/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Is Inspiring Group Members an Effective Predictor of Social Dominance in Early Adolescence? Direct and Moderated Effects of Behavioral Strategies, Social Skills, and Gender on Resource Control and Popularity. J Youth Adolesc 2018. [PMID: 29536330 PMCID: PMC6105195 DOI: 10.1007/s10964-018-0830-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Dominance in the peer group is important for adolescents. Resource Control Theory posits that both coercive and prosocial (positively assertive) strategies are associated with dominance. Combining Resource Control Theory with Socioanalytic Theory on personality, we hypothesized that inspiring group members would be an additional effective strategy. This study examined whether the three behavioral strategies and two types of social skills (social competence and manipulation) predicted dominance (resource control and popularity). Participants were 619 Dutch adolescents (Mage = 13.1; 47% female) in the first grade of secondary school. They completed peer reports (behavioral strategies and dominance) and self-reports (social skills). Only inspirational and coercive strategies substantially predicted dominance. Main effects of social skills emerged. Moderation between strategies and social skills was only observed for girls (e.g., coercive strategy use was associated with more popularity for girls with higher levels of social manipulation skills). This study furthered our understanding of the predictors of dominance in adolescence by including inspirational behavior and examining prosocial and antisocial skills.
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Hawley PH. Eight Myths of Child Social Development: An Evolutionary Approach to Power, Aggression, and Social Competence. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-29986-0_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
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