Social cognition in aggressive children: A metaanalytic review

Abstract

This study applies metaanalytic techniques to the empirical literature on social cognitive correlates of childhood aggression. Purposes of the study were to synthesize the large and expanding body of research on social cognitive deficits and distortions in aggressive children and to compare effect sizes for four different stages of information processing, using Dodge's (1986) model of social information processing. Age differences in the association between social cognitive processes and aggression status were also investigated. The metaanalysis included 147 effect sizes from 32 studies published between 1977 and 1996. “Medium” effect sizes were found for each of the four processes. The magnitude of deficits and biases did not differ across the four processes or the two age groups. Results are interpreted as supportive of the proposition that underlying mental schemas guide and organize on-line processes. These results suggest that intervention programs for aggressive children should address the broad pattern of social cognition as well as children's representational models.