Abstract
In the literature, the tendency to attribute hostile intent is called “hostile attribution bias”. After ambiguous provocation, aggressive children are more likely than nonaggressive children to attribute a hostile intent to the peer. Children who make hostile attribution bias are generally more rejected by peers. However, it seems that nonaggressive children may also attribute hostile intentions to peers. The goals of these studies are 1) to detect the profile of young children who attribute hostile intentions and 2) to identify if there is difference between children who showed hostile attribution bias and those who did not. In the first study, 176 preschoolers were tested with the Unfair Card Game, that is a virtual game inducing frustration/provocation and including a high level of personal involvement. In the second study, 102 children were also tested with the Unfair Card Game, but also with some measures of social cognition. In both studies, parents and teachers completed some questionnaires. Results showed notably that children who displayed HAB manifested less positive affects and more negative affects during the frustration task. Compared with children who displayed no hostile attribution bias, children who did do so were perceived by teachers as more extraverted and by parents as having a higher level of externalizing behavior. It seems possible to identify children who made hostile attribution bias. Results are discussed in relation to the literature on the hostile attribution bias.
Highlights
Were there individual differences according to personality factors, social cognition and social adjustment, or level of externalizing behavior (EB), positive or negative affects, agitation or inattention? Are there specific factors that could increase the risk of attributing a hostile intention and factors that protect against the development of hostile attribution bias” (HAB)?
Through a measure with a high level of personal involvement, we were able to detect the proportion of preschoolers who displayed HAB, even when they did not have a pathological level of EB
This measure meets some of the requirements stressed in the meta-analysis of Orobio de Castro et al (2002), such as the importance of personal involvement in the task, and seems a promising method of evaluating HAB in young children
Summary
Aggressive children were found to be more likely than nonaggressive children to attribute a hostile intent to the peer (Dodge & Frame, 1982). According to Orobio de Castro et al (2002), HAB could be a key element in the development—and persistence—of behavior problems in time. It could be useful for the early identification of children at risk of developing behavior problems later. It would be useful to detect the profile of young children who attribute hostile intentions, as well as the profile of young children in whom the development of HAB is impeded
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
