Thesis
Mother's social cognitions and discipline responses: Differences between physical and relational aggression
Washington State University
Master of Arts (MA), Washington State University
2006
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/451
Abstract
This research was designed to explore differences in mothers' social cognitions, affect, and proposed discipline responses to physical and relational aggression. The two main aims of the research were: (1) to examine whether maternal social cognitions (i.e. attributions of responsibility and stability, and descriptive norms) about, and their responses to, children's aggressive behavior vary as a function of aggression form; and (2) to investigate the associations between mothers' social cognitions and their emotional reactions and proposed discipline responses (i.e., level of power assertion). Ninety-nine mothers of 3rd-5th grade students read hypothetical vignettes depicting their child engaged in relational and physical aggression. Following each story, mothers responded to nine questions that assessed social cognitions, affect, and discipline responses. Overall, the results indicated that mothers hold a different set of cognitions about relational aggression as compared to physical aggression, and that these cognitions are reliably linked to their proposed responses to children. Specifically, in situations depicting relational aggression as compared to physical aggression, mothers viewed the behavior as more normative, and they attributed less responsibility to children for engaging in the behavior. Mothers also reported that they would experience less negative affect and employ lower levels of power assertion in relational aggression situations. Implications of these findings for models of parental influence on child peer competence and for parent education are discussed.
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Details
- Title
- Mother's social cognitions and discipline responses
- Creators
- Samantha Senich
- Contributors
- Nicole E. Werner (Degree Supervisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Human Development, Department of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Arts (MA), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University; Pullman, Wash. :
- Identifiers
- 99900525162701842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis