ERIC Number: EJ1335176
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022
Pages: 24
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1524-8372
EISSN: N/A
The Relations among Theory of Mind, Inhibitory Control, and Aggressive Behavior in 4-Year-Old Children -- A Multi-Measure Multi-Informant Approach
Buttelmann, David; Kühn, Karen; Zmyj, Norbert
Journal of Cognition and Development, v23 n1 p111-134 2022
Identifying correlates of aggressive behavior in children might help to find potential candidates for interventions in aggression reduction. While some previous studies found that children's Theory of Mind (ToM) and inhibitory control (IC) correlate with aggressive behavior, others did not confirm this relation. One explanation for these mixed findings may lie in the application of single measures, which might not provide a comprehensive profile of children's ToM or IC. For example, to measure children's understanding of mental states, the majority of studies investigated their understanding of false beliefs. Another explanation is that previous studies differ in the degree to which they controlled for language abilities, which are often correlated with ToM and aggression. Here, we presented 4-year-old children (N = 80) with a broad battery of ToM and IC tasks, complemented by multi-informant assessment of their aggressive behavior. Regression analyses revealed that children's delay of gratification correlated negatively with aggressive behavior as rated by their kindergarten teachers, even after controlling for language and ToM. After controlling for language and IC, there was no correlation between ToM and the children's aggressive behavior as rated by the parents. These findings highlight the importance of considering multi-measure multi-informant procedures when identifying correlates of children's aggressive behavior.
Descriptors: Correlation, Theory of Mind, Inhibition, Cognitive Processes, Intervention, Aggression, Profiles, Beliefs, Deception, Kindergarten, Teacher Attitudes, Measures (Individuals), Self Control, Check Lists, Child Behavior, Foreign Countries, Intention, Goal Orientation
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Elementary Education; Kindergarten; Primary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Germany
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Child Behavior Checklist
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A