The primary aims of the proposed research are: (a) to assess risk-taking behaviors that normally emerge in adolescence. The previous focus on outcome measures was almost entirely on aggression and victimization, but several other risky behaviors (e.g., tobacco and alcohol use, unsafe sexual practices) are predicted to relate not only to aggression and violence but will also be predicted by specific patterns of variables assessed in the study. (b) to continue to use a mediator model in which the relations of environmental factors to aggressive outcomes are mediated by psychological and personality variables. These variables fall into two categories. First is the degree of connectedness or disconnectedness that children experience in various key relationships in their lives. Second is a child s temperament. Certain combinations of disconnectedness with certain temperamental patterns are predicted to put children at extremely high risk for aggression and risky behaviors; while other combinations will act as protectors from aggression and risky behaviors and will allow children to be resilient to environmental antecedents even when children come from environments associated with aggression. (c) to build on the substantial data set already collected on children aged 7 to 14 years and continue to gain data from the sample. Although the primary focus has been on the early antecedents of aggressive development, overt aggression and other risky behaviors will be much more fully exhibited during adolescence. The sample baseline consisted of 440 children between the ages of 7 and 13 years and their mothers, who are representative of the population of Springfield, MA. This sample includes approximately equal numbers of white, African-American, and Latino children at all SES levels and approximately equal numbers of each sex. Interviews with the children and their mothers will be conducted at Time 3 ( a second follow-up after the baseline) and again at Time 4, a third follow-up.
| Andreas, Jasmina Burdzovic; Watson, Malcolm W (2009) Moderating effects of family environment on the association between children's aggressive beliefs and their aggression trajectories from childhood to adolescence. Dev Psychopathol 21:189-205 |
| Smith, Craig E; Fischer, Kurt W; Watson, Malcolm W (2009) Toward a refined view of aggressive fantasy as a risk factor for aggression: interaction effects involving cognitive and situational variables. Aggress Behav 35:313-23 |
| Sheehan, Michael J; Watson, Malcolm W (2008) Reciprocal influences between maternal discipline techniques and aggression in children and adolescents. Aggress Behav 34:245-55 |
| Fischer, K W; Pare-Blagoev, J (2000) From individual differences to dynamic pathways of development. Child Dev 71:850-3; discussion 860-1 |
