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A longitudinal examination of the associations between mothers' and sons'attributions and their aggression

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2001

CAROL MACKINNON–LEWIS ,
MICHAEL E. LAMB ,
JOHN HATTIE  and
LAILA P. BARADARAN
CAROL MACKINNON–LEWIS
Affiliation:
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
MICHAEL E. LAMB
Affiliation:
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
JOHN HATTIE
Affiliation:
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
LAILA P. BARADARAN
Affiliation:
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
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Abstract

This study tested an integrative, multipathway model designed to explain bidirectional effects of the attributions and coercive behaviors of mothers and sons in the context of a longitudinal study. Subjects were 246 mothers and sons who were 7–9 years of age. Mothers' and sons' attributions about one another's intent were significantly related to the aggressiveness of the behavior that each of them directed toward the other. Boys' earlier aggression did not significantly predict the mothers' subsequent attributions, whereas mothers' negative behavior indeed predicted subsequent negative attributions on the part of the boys. Even after considering children's earlier negative behavior, children's negative attributions about their mothers helped explain the aggressiveness of their subsequent behavior. The same was not true for mothers whose earlier attributions indirectly influenced their subsequent aggressive behavior.

Type
Research Article
Information
Development and Psychopathology , Volume 13 , Issue 1 , March 2001 , pp. 69 - 81
Copyright
© 2001 Cambridge University Press

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