The effect of social-environmental risk factors, such as social rejection and community violence exposure, on aggressive behavior during childhood has been well documented (Dodge et al., 2003; Lynch & Cicchetti, 1998; Margolin & Gordis, 2000), but the specific mechanisms that mediate this association are still unclear. It may be that a set of social-cognitive factors (i.e., general knowledge structures and social information processing) mediates this relation (Dodge et al., 1990). Two studies were conducted to explore the hypothesis that exposure to social-environmental risk factors is associated with aggressive behavior, as mediated by individuals' general views of the self and others, and negatively biased social information processing.
The first study examined the association among general knowledge structures, information processing, and aggression. Data were collected from 125 older adolescents (mean age = 19.9; SD = 1.6) regarding their views of self and others, social information processing, aggression, and personality. While it has traditionally been believed that individuals' negative views of themselves are associated with aggression (Baumeister et al., 1996), we observed that there was a stronger link between overt aggression and negative views of others. This relation was mediated by negatively biased social information processing.
The second study examined the influence of community violence exposure and social rejection by parents and peers on aggression during adolescence. Data were collected from 184 suburban adolescents (mean age = 14.97, SD = .84) and their homeroom teachers regarding the youths' social relationships, general knowledge structures, social information processing, and relationally and physically aggressive behavior. Analyses with structural equation modeling indicated that the effect of these two social-environmental risk factors on aggression was partially mediated by negatively biased social-cognitive factors. Social rejection was more closely associated with negative general knowledge structures, which is consistent with attachment theory's (Bowlby, 1973) emphasis on the link between social relationships and internal working models of the self and others. Violence exposure was more closely related to biased social information processing, which is consistent with social learning theory (Bandura, 1973; Huesmann, 1988), whereby witnessing violence influences beliefs regarding the appropriateness of aggression. Implications for youth violence prevention and intervention are discussed.
(Publisher abstract provided.)