Cognitive Process of Peer-Aggressive Scenes Between Adolescents with History of Peer-Aggression and Peer Victimization

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine group differences in eye movement between people with a history of perpetrating in peer aggression and people with a history of peer victimization on the processing of peer-aggressive and non-aggressive scenes. As Richard Hazler (1996) claimed that ‘bullies only see the event and its result from their own perspectives’, children who perpetrate in peer-aggression may attend to different social cues than those who do not engage in peer-aggression or who are victimized by peer-aggression. To better understand these differences, we need a direct assessment of their attention. Thus, in my study, the eye movements of participants are recorded while they are presented with aggressive and non aggressive scenes. As previous studies suggested that individuals with a history of perpetrating in aggression are more likely to pay attention to aggressive stimuli, I predict that the aggressors will pay more attention to the bullying targets than the victimized targets in aggressive scenes. I also expect that the aggressors would pay more attention to the bullying targets in aggressive scenes than the victims would. This study should expand our knowledge on cognitive processes of peer-aggressors and may inform the development of more effective bullying intervention programs where selective attention of peer-aggressors could be guided to reduce their biased perception of social situation.