This research examines organization of affect, behavior, and understanding of interpersonal conflict and distress in difficult-to-manage preschool children. It is part of a larger, multi-method, longitudinal study (Protocol #Z01 MH 02448-02 LDP) of continuities and discontinuities in the development of conduct problems. In addition to engaging in acts of harmfulness to others, wrongdoing and rule violation, aggressive children are commonly described as deficient in moral reasoning, insensitive to or unaware of others' needs, and unlikely to engage in prosocial acts toward agemates (i.e., sharing, help, cooperation, negotiation). Disturbances in empathic, prosocial patterns are not simply the antithesis of aggression. Hence, it is important to explore the early etiology and role of more positive aspects of social functioning, in determining whether or not disruptive, aggressive behaviors continue over time. Data collection is nearing completion for approximately 80, 4-5-year-old children at low, moderate, or high risk for conduct problems. Preliminary analyses indicate that children identified independently as having behavior problems also show more aggressive solutions when presented with interpersonal dilemmas and fewer prosocial choices in experimental situations. Problem girls described more prosocial actions than problem boys, an early indicator that concern for relationships in girls at risk may protect against continuation of problems with misconduct. But it raises the question of whether they are then at risk for different kinds of disorders, i.e., internalizing problems. Problem children also expressed more atypical or deviant themes in themes in their descriptions of emotional conflicts and problems.
