Social Information Processing Model Research Articles

Linking child adjustment difficulties with mother's maladaptive parental behavior: The mediating roles of parental cognitions and parenting stress.

Child abuse is prevalent worldwide, with most of the burden in developing countries. To reduce and prevent child abuse occurrence, many efforts are directed toward reducing maladaptive parental behaviors (MPBs), a predictor of parents' risk of engaging in child abusive behaviors. MPBs have been associated with child (e.g., behavioral difficulties) and parent characteristics (e.g., parenting stress and parental cognitions), although little research tested for mediational pathways. This study aimed to test the pathways through which child and parent characteristics are linked to MPB. Consistent with the social information processing model of parenting, we hypothesized that child behavioral difficulties would exert an indirect influence on MPB through parenting stress and that parenting stress will exert a direct and indirect effect on MPB through parental cognitions (i.e., expectations, attitudes, and attributions). This study used data from 243 mothers of children aged between 2 and 9 years in Romania. Two-stage structural equation modeling was employed to test the hypothesized model. Results support the role of child behavior, parenting stress, and parental cognitions in predicting MPB (R2 = 0.69). Significant indirect effects were found from child behavior to MPB via parenting stress and parental cognitions. Direct effects from parenting stress and parental cognitions to MPB were significant. Findings show that parenting stress and parental cognitions are important mechanisms through which child behavioral difficulties influence maladaptive parental behavior, underscoring the need to focus on these mechanisms when assessing or intervening with families at risk for child abuse.

Social Functioning in Children and Adolescents with ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Cross-Disorder Comparison

ABSTRACT Objective Social functioning can be defined according to three main components: social perception, social performance, and social knowledge. Although they are important in daily life relationships and in children’s adaptation, these components have never been tested together in children and adolescents with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) using lab-based tasks. The present study used a cross-disorder approach to compare the performance of children with ADHD and ASD and non-diagnosed (ND) peers utilizing a task that involves these three fundamental social functioning components. Methods Two hundred and twenty-five Italian children (86% boys) aged between 8 and 16 (66 with a clinical diagnosis of ADHD; 51 with a clinical diagnosis of ASD, level 1; 108 ND children) were enrolled. The three groups were matched for age, gender, and IQ. Social functioning was assessed using a lab-based task, including videos of problematic interactions among peers, created ad hoc for the study, and a semi-structured interview based on the Social Information Processing model. Results Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVAs and multinomial mixed effects models. Our findings suggested that both groups with ADHD and ASD presented social functioning difficulties in comparison to ND children. However, a different pattern of performance emerged. Children with ADHD showed higher difficulties in social performance than those with ASD, whereas autistic children revealed more difficulties in social perception and in some aspects of social knowledge. Conclusions Our findings have important clinical implications for assessment, intervention, and differential diagnosis, and should encourage clinicians to investigate different aspects of social functioning and identify specific strengths and weaknesses in each social profile.

Psychotherapy case formulation for patients with aggressive behaviours in clinical settings: an adaptation of the Multimodal Functional Model

Aggressive behaviours are commonly observed in clinical settings, making it crucial to employ advanced assessment tools to accurately evaluate the likelihood of such behaviour. This article aims to present an assessment framework for developing a psychotherapy case formulation for patients with aggressive behaviours within the context of clinical setting. Recognising the disparities in the usage of aggression, as well as the comorbid nature of aggressive behaviours in patients with various psychopathologies, we propose an integrative framework that addresses these inconsistencies. The framework utilises the Hunter et al.’s (2008) Multimodal Functional Model as a foundation to which we integrated seven other models that are the I3 Model, the Algebra of Aggression model, the General Aggression Model, the Social Information Processing model, the Response Evaluation and Decision model, the Integrative Cognitive Model, and the nosographic model of mental disorders according to DSM-5. All these models were integrated into a comprehensive and expanded version of the Hunter et al.’s multimodal functional analysis worksheet, which combines the bio-psycho-social modalities of behaviour analysis in five factors that are instigation, vulnerability, reinforcement, habit strength, and inhibition. Additionally, case study example is provided to illustrate the development of a case formulation, which serves as a foundation for establishing therapeutic goals and implementing appropriate interventions. By incorporating a comprehensive understanding of aggression and utilising an adaptation of the multimodal functional analysis worksheet, this approach provides clinicians with a robust foundation for formulating effective therapeutic strategies.

Beyond empathy: Cognitive capabilities increase or curb altruism in middle childhood

Altruistic behavior, which intentionally benefits a recipient without expectation of a reward or at a cost to the actor, is observed throughout the lifespan from everyday interactions to emergency situations. Empathy has long been considered a major driver of altruistic action, but the social information processing model supports the idea that other cognitive processes may also play a role in altruistic intention and behavior. Our aim was to investigate how visual analysis, attention, inhibitory control, and theory of mind capabilities uniquely contribute to predicting altruistic intention and behavior in a sample of 67 French children (35 girls and 32 boys; Mage = 9.92 ± 0.99 years) from Paris and neighboring suburbs. Using a Bayesian analysis framework, we showed that in younger grade levels visual analysis and selective attention are strong predictors of altruistic intention and that inhibitory control strongly predicts altruistic behavior in a dictator game. Processes underlying theory of mind, however, negatively predict altruistic behavior in the youngest grade. In higher grade levels, we found that stronger attention and inhibitory control predicts lower altruistic intention and behavior. Empathy was not found to predict altruistic intention or behavior. These results suggest that different cognitive capabilities are involved in altruistic intention and behavior and that their contribution changes throughout middle childhood as social constraints deepen and altruism calls on more complex reasoning.

The Role of Parent-Child Attachment, Hostile Attribution Bias in Aggression: A Meta-Analytic Review.

Parent-Child Attachment (PCA) and Hostile Attribution Bias (HAB) are closely related to aggression, but findings regarding their relationships are inconsistent. There is a lack of understanding of the underlying mechanism between PCA and aggression. This review employed meta-analysis approaches to investigate the associations between PCA and aggression, as well as between HAB and aggression, and the mechanism for the PCA-aggression association. An article search was conducted in CNKI, PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science, ProQuest, and Google Scholar. Totally, 118 studies involving general populations and those at high risk for aggression were included. Results revealed negative associations between Parent-Child Attachment Security (PCAS) and aggression (ρ = -.267, p < .001) and positive associations between Parent-Child Attachment Insecurity (PCAI) and aggression (ρ = .240, p < .05). HAB and aggression were found to be positively associated (ρ = .303, p < .001). As for the PCAS-aggression association, a larger effect size was found in females than in males. The HAB-reactive aggression association was stronger than the HAB-proactive aggression association. In Eastern culture, the association between HAB and aggression was stronger than in Western culture. HAB mediated the association between PCAS and aggression. Our findings contribute to the understanding of the occurrence and development of aggression by establishing an association between attachment theory and the social information processing model. The practical implications include interventions targeting cultivating PCAS and alleviating HAB, which might serve as effective ways to reduce aggression, yet aggression type, gender, and cultural background should be taken into consideration.

Dikkat Eksikliği ve Hiperaktivite Bozukluğu Olan Çocuklarla Tipik Gelişim Gösteren Çocukların Sosyal Bilgi İşleme Süreçleri ve Yönetici İşlev Davranışlarının Karşılaştırmalı İncelenmesi

Introduction: Examining the performance of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in each step of the social information processing and their executive functioning behaviors while comparing them to typically developing (TD) children and determining their limitations in these processes is important for reducing the future risks that children with ADHD may face in academic and social life. In this context, the aim of the study is to comparatively examine the social information processing and executive functioning behaviors of children with ADHD and TD children. Method: The study was conducted using a general survey model, which is one of the quantitative research designs. The participants of the study included 25 children diagnosed with ADHD, aged between 8 and 10, and 25 TD children of the same gender and age range. Additionally, 25 teachers and 50 parents participated in the study. The data collection tools used in the study were the Social Information Processing Assessment Form and the Parent and Teacher Form of the Behavioral Rating Inventory of Executive Functions (BRIEF). Findings: The study findings showed significant differences between children with ADHD and TD children in all stages of the Social Information Processing Assessment Form. Similar significant differences were also found in all the sub-scales and sub-dimensions of the Parent and Teacher Form of the Behavioral Rating Inventory of Executive Functions. The relationships between social information processing skills and executive functioning skills also revealed significant associations between some sub-stages of the Social Information Processing Skills Assessment Form and some sub-dimensions of the Parent and Teacher Form of the Behavioral Rating Inventory of Executive Functions. Discussion: The findings indicate that children with ADHD experience limitations in each of the six steps of the Social Information Processing Model and in some sub-dimensions of executive functions when compared to their TD peers. The findings emphasize the significance of the relationships between social information processing and executive functioning in the development of social and academic skills in children with ADHD.

A neurocognitive model of early onset persistent and desistant antisocial behavior in early adulthood.

It remains unclear which functional and neurobiological mechanisms are associated with persistent and desistant antisocial behavior in early adulthood. We reviewed the empirical literature and propose a neurocognitive social information processing model for early onset persistent and desistant antisocial behavior in early adulthood, focusing on how young adults evaluate, act upon, monitor, and learn about their goals and self traits. Based on the reviewed literature, we propose that persistent antisocial behavior is characterized by domain-general impairments in self-relevant and goal-related information processing, regulation, and learning, which is accompanied by altered activity in fronto-limbic brain areas. We propose that desistant antisocial development is associated with more effortful information processing, regulation and learning, that possibly balances self-relevant goals and specific situational characteristics. The proposed framework advances insights by considering individual differences such as psychopathic personality traits, and specific emotional characteristics (e.g., valence of social cues), to further illuminate functional and neural mechanisms underlying heterogenous developmental pathways. Finally, we address important open questions and offer suggestions for future research to improve scientific knowledge on general and context-specific expression and development of antisocial behavior in early adulthood.

Do Shy Individuals Engage in Cyber Aggression? The Multiple Mediation of Passive Use and Relative Deprivation and the Moderation of Moral Sensitivity

Shyness has been shown to be linked to aggression. However, whether this relationship occurs in cyberspace and the mechanisms that might affect it are largely unexplored. Based on the social fitness model, the current study examined the relationship between shyness and cyber aggression, as well as the mediating roles of passive use and relative deprivation. Moreover, according to the integration of the social information processing model and moral domain theory, moral sensitivity serves as a moderator in the direct and indirect links between shyness and cyber aggression. A total of 700 Chinese college students ( M age = 18.68, 53.57% women) participated in the current study and completed multiple questionnaires, namely, the Shyness Scale, Cyber-Aggression Scale, Passive Use of Social Network Site Scale, Relative Deprivation Scale, and Ethical Sensitivity Scale. The results showed that shyness was positively associated with cyber aggression through the multiple mediating effects of passive use and relative deprivation. Additionally, moderated mediation analysis indicated that moral sensitivity moderated the direct and indirect relationship between shyness and cyber aggression. A high level of moral sensitivity weakened the association of shyness with cyber aggression and the association of relative deprivation with cyber aggression, supporting the moderated mediation model. This study implicates the underlying mechanisms of the relationship between shyness and cyber aggression and preventative interventions to reduce the risk of cyber aggression.

Le rôle de l’alexithymie dans les comportements violents : Une révision des études disponibles à la lumière du modèle de traitement de l’information sociale

ObjectivesThe literature highlights the prevalence of shortcomings in processing emotional information, especially the identification of emotions in the context of violent behavior. Alexithymia is the inability to recognize and describe emotional states and external oriented thinking. The social information processing approach offers a theoretical framework to understand how alexithymia deficiencies are linked to violence. Furthermore, this approach allows us to determine which stages of processing are associated with specific kinds of deficiencies in order to adapt treatment programs targeting violent behavior. The primary goal of this narrative review is to define and present the relationship between alexithymia and violent behavior. In addition, this review will attempt to illustrate that deficiencies caused by alexithymia are related to different stages of social information processing. MethodsThis review presents an explanation of the links between violent behavior and alexithymia according to the social information processing theory as a theoretical framework. ResultsThere are numerous studies that demonstrate the relationship between violent behavior and alexithymia in different populations (general, psychiatric, or incarcerated) and for different kinds of violence (physical, homicidal or sexual). In particular, the deficiencies caused by alexithymia primarily involved the (in)ability to identify emotional states. Indeed, the more people have difficulties in identifying their own internal emotional states, the higher the probability that they will engage in dysfunctional behavior such as violence. According to the social information processing model, these shortcomings are present in the initial stages of processing. Errors in detection and perception of social cues could produce a misinterpretation of other's intentions and could lead to a hostile attribution bias. This bias exhibits itself as a tendency to interpret the actions of others as hostile, particularly in ambiguous situations and is often linked to impulsive and reactive aggression. Due to these links between alexithymia, misinterpretation, and violent behavior, it seems essential to develop treatment programs designed to reduce the effects of alexithymia. One study demonstrated that a specific treatment program reduced alexithymic related deficiencies among individuals who had committed sexual offences. This program was based on developing the capacity to identify emotions and to use emotive language to verbalize emotional states. These results suggest that it is possible to improve emotional competence and reduce the effects of alexithymia, which could lead to a reduction in errors in social information processing and could be a major protective factor with respect to violent behavior. ConclusionsThe social information processing model allows us to understand the relationship between violent behavior and alexithymia based on the deficiencies in specific processing stages. In other words, this is an approach which examines the varying stages of social information processing which are dysfunctional and their relationship to the various dimensions of alexithymia. Importantly, it seems that the two explanatory hypotheses of alexithymia may be more complementary rather than diametrically opposed. Indeed, these two hypotheses allow us to explain particular kinds of deficiencies based on different stages of social information processing. This heuristic framework promises the possibility of understanding the study of alexithymia depending on both the nature of the shortcomings and on which social information processing steps are involved. Accordingly, it could become easier to accurately understand which processes are involved in order to adapt the treatment of these deficiencies, particularly in relation to violent behavior.

Correction to: Pathways to Harsh Parenting: Testing a Social Information Processing Model of Child Abuse Using Meta-Analytic Structural Equation Modeling

Correction to: Pathways to Harsh Parenting: Testing a Social Information Processing Model of Child Abuse Using Meta-Analytic Structural Equation Modeling

Using the social information processing model to understand gender differences in the manifestation and frequency of aggression

Gender differences in physical aggression across early and middle childhood have been reliably established, with boys engaging in physical aggression more often than girls. The social information processing (SIP) model is an empirically-supported model initially developed to understand the etiology of physical aggression in boys. However, it remains unclear the extent to which this model also applies to girls who are more likely to engage in relational than physical aggression. The purpose of the current review is to examine the applicability of the SIP model to relational aggression in girls, using gender-schema and social-cognitive theories of gender development to inform our understanding of how gender socialization processes influence the development of SIP skills and displays of aggression. We argue that although a gender-linked version of the SIP model provides compelling theoretical predictions of when and why girls will engage in relationally aggressive behavior, empirical evidence in support of this model is mixed. After critically evaluating empirical literature in this area, we then briefly review evidence regarding the efficacy of SIP-focused interventions for physical and relational aggression and discuss their applicability to males and females. We conclude the paper by discussing limitations of extant research and highlighting future directions in this area.

Pathways to Harsh Parenting: Testing a Social Information Processing Model of Child Abuse Using Meta-Analytic Structural Equation Modeling

Pathways to Harsh Parenting: Testing a Social Information Processing Model of Child Abuse Using Meta-Analytic Structural Equation Modeling

The effects of prosocial lyrics music on attentional bias

Music is one of the most common social media in people’s lives, and music with prosocial lyrics can promote an individual’s prosocial behaviors. The social information processing model points out that an individual’s behavior is affected by the selective processing of attentional information. This study used a spatial cue paradigm to compare the differences in attentional bias for prosocial cues between music with prosocial and neutral lyrics. The results show that music with prosocial lyrics can induce attentional engagement toward prosocial words, but not difficulty in attentional disengagement. This study revealed that individuals are more likely to pay attention to prosocial information after listening to music with prosocial lyrics, and that attention may play an important role in the impact of music on individuals’ behaviors.

Understanding the Link Between Work-Related and Non-Work-Related Supervisor-Subordinate Relationships and Affective Commitment: The Mediating and Moderating Roles of Psychological Safety.

PurposeBased on social information processing (SIP) model and conservation of resources (COR) theory, this paper is to examine the mediating and moderating roles of psychological safety (PS) in the relationship between work-related leader-member exchange (LMX)/non-work-related supervisor-subordinate guanxi (SSG) and employee affective commitment (AC).Participants and MethodsCross-sectional data came from 213 enterprise employees in China. The participants completed the LMX scale, SSG scale, PS scale, and AC scale. SPSS PROCESS macro and RWA-Web were used to test the research hypothesis.ResultsBoth LMX and SSG were positively related to employee AC. LMX was more strongly associated with AC than SSG. PS partially mediated the influence of LMX/SSG on AC. PS negatively moderated the influence of LMX on AC, whereas it did not moderate the influence of SSG on AC.ConclusionDifferent types of supervisor-subordinate relationships (SSR) were both beneficial to employee AC, and work-related LMX was more closely related to employee AC. Different types of SSR could both affect employee AC through PS. In addition, high PS also reduced the relationship between LMX and employee AC. Therefore, in the context of Chinese culture, enhancing employees’ AC within an enterprise can not only pay attention to the work-related LMX and non-work-related SSG but also the appropriate cultivation of employees’ PS.

Mindfulness Moderates the Association Between Perceived Discrimination and Cyber Aggression Among Emerging Adults with Early Left-Behind Experience: A Longitudinal Study.

PurposeAlthough the risk effect of perceived discrimination on left-behind youth’s mental health (mainly emotional problems) has been demonstrated in prior studies, there is a lack of longitudinal studies examining the effect of perceived discrimination on behavioral problems, particularly in emerging adults with early left-behind experience. In addition, little is known about individual differences in terms of this association. In the present study, we draw on the social information processing model of aggression to examine the effect of perceived discrimination and mindfulness on cyber aggression.MethodsWe used two-wave longitudinal panel data involving 535 emerging adults with early left-behind experience in rural China (M age = 19.89 years; SD = 1.20; 57.2% female). To test the moderating role of mindfulness, hierarchical multiple regression and simple slope test analyses were performed.ResultsThe results of linear regression analysis demonstrated that higher levels of perceived discrimination at T1 were significantly associated with higher cyber aggression at T2; the strength of this association was buffered by mindfulness over time.ConclusionThese findings suggest that the facilitation of mindfulness training may be an effective strategy for reducing the risk of perceived discrimination leading to cyber aggression in emerging adults with early left-behind experience.

Temperament, Perceived Ethnic Discrimination and Bullying Behavior of University Students

Abstract The social information processing model suggests that the overall conduct of a person is the product of situational cues and past experiences. Likewise, a student who is new to on-campus life perceives his surroundings and social interactions according to the previous positive or negative social experiences. This research aimed to examine the relationship of perceived ethnic discrimination, temperamental characteristics, and bullying behavior (verbal, non-verbal, or bullying perpetration) among university hostilities. A purposive sampling strategy was used to recruit 635 university hostilities who belonged to on-campus’s ethnic minority groups. Constructs were analyzed by the Adult Temperament Questionnaire (self-report), Illinois Bully Scale (Teacher’s Version), and Perceived Ethnic Discrimination Questionnaire Community Version (Self-report). The results suggested that two dimensions of perceived discrimination (place discrimination and perceived exclusion) acted as mediators between temperamental characteristics (Effortful control, negative affect, and extraversion) and types of bullying (physical, non-physical, and bullying perpetration).

Does strength at home for couples prevent sexual aggression in returning veterans? Examining randomized controlled trial findings.

Sexual aggression between intimate partners is a serious problem. This study examined this problem in returning male veterans and their female partners, and the effectiveness of an intervention for intimate partner violence (IPV) in preventing sexual aggression using data gathered during a randomized controlled trial. Rates of sexual aggression and the effectiveness of the Strength at Home Couples (SAH-C) intervention were examined in a sample of 69 couples with a returning male veteran from Iraq/Afghanistan who participated in a randomized controlled trial for intimate partner violence (IPV) prevention. Couples were assessed at 4 timepoints: immediately prior to the intervention, immediately following the intervention, 6 months postintervention, and 12 months postintervention. It was found that 57% of couples reported the presence of intimate partner sexual aggression in their relationship across the assessment points, with higher rates reported at baseline than other time points and for veterans relative to their partners. The most commonly endorsed items were "I insisted on sex when my partner didn't want to" and "I made my partner have sex without a condom." Overall, couples randomized to SAH-C showed greater declines in sexual aggression than couples who were randomized to Supportive Prevention, with particularly strong differences across conditions from baseline to posttreatment. These data suggest that this trauma-informed couples-based intervention based on a social information processing model may assist in reducing intimate partner sexual aggression and builds on prior findings demonstrating the program be associated with the prevention of physical and psychological IPV. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Common outcome, different pathways: Social information-processing deficits in autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Social functioning is a key domain of impairment in both autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This review adopts the social information-processing model as the theoretical framework to compare and contrast the deficits of ASD and ADHD at each of the six steps of social information-processing. Both disorders show deficits at each step, but the nature and origins of the deficits are different. Thus, while both disorders exhibit a common outcome of social impairment, the exact pathways that each disorder traverses along the six steps of social information-processing are different. For ASD, there is a social knowledge/behaviour deficit arising from difficulties in social/emotional cue detection, encoding, and interpretation, leading to problems in joining and initiating social interaction. For ADHD, there is a performance deficit incurred by disruption arising from the ADHD symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity, while its acquisition capacity on social knowledge is relatively intact. The inattentive, intrusive, and impulsive behaviours of ADHD unsettle social interaction. Finally, this review proposes training targets for intervention along the six steps of the social information-processing model for ASD and ADHD, as well as areas for future research in further elucidating the social impairment of the two disorders.

Working memory guidance of visual attention to threat in offenders.

Aggression and trait anger have been linked to attentional biases toward angry faces and attribution of hostile intent in ambiguous social situations. Memory and emotion play a crucial role in social-cognitive models of aggression but their mechanisms of influence are not fully understood. Combining a memory task and a visual search task, this study investigated the guidance of attention allocation toward naturalistic face targets during visual search by visual working memory (WM) templates in 113 participants who self-reported having served a custodial sentence. Searches were faster when angry faces were held in working memory regardless of the emotional valence of the visual search target. Higher aggression and trait anger predicted increased working memory modulated attentional bias. These results are consistent with the Social-Information Processing model, demonstrating that internal representations bias attention allocation to threat and that the bias is linked to aggression and trait anger.

Surprising Empirical Directions for Thomistic Moral Psychology: Social Information Processing and Aggression Research

One of the major contemporary challenges to Thomistic moral psychology is that it is incompatible with the most up-to-date psychological science. Here Thomistic psychology is in good company, targeted along with most virtue-ethical views by philosophical Situationism, which uses replicated psychological studies to suggest that our behaviors are best explained by situational pressures rather than by stable traits (like virtues and vices). In this essay we explain how this body of psychological research poses a much deeper threat to Thomistic moral psychology in particular. For Thomistic moral psychology includes descriptive claims about causal connections between certain cognitive processes and behaviors, even independent of whether those processes emerge from habits like virtues. Psychological studies of correlations between these can provide evidence against those causal claims. We offer a new programmatic response to this deeper challenge: empirical studies are relevant only if they investigate behaviors under intentional descriptions, such that the correlations discovered are between cognition and what Aquinas calls human acts. Psychological research on aggression already emphasizes correlations between cognition and intentional behavior, or human acts, and so is positioned to shed light on how well Thomistic moral psychology fits with empirical data. Surprisingly, Aquinas’s views have quite a lot in common with a leading model of aggression, the social information processing (SIP) model. We close by suggesting how we might examine claims of Thomistic moral psychology from an empirical perspective further using research on social information processing and aggression.