SOCIAL COGNITIVE-PROCESSES OF SEVERELY VIOLENT, MODERATELY AGGRESSIVE, AND NONAGGRESSIVE BOYS

This study examined social-cognitive processes of aggressive and nonag gressive boys at preadolescent and early adolescent age levels. The so cial-cognitive variables included processing of cues, attributions, so cial problem solving, affect labeling, outcome expectations, and perce ived competence and self-worth. Results indicated that a wide range of social-cognitive processes is distorted and deficient for violent and moderately aggressive children, and that different types of social co gnition contribute unique variance in discriminating among groups. Sev erely violent boys at both age levels had difficulties with cue recall , attributions, social problem solving, general self-worth, and a patt em of endorsing unusually positive affects that they may experience in different settings. Moderately aggressive boys shared some of the soc ial-cognitive difficulties demonstrated by severely violent boys, but they also displayed indications that their aggression may be more plan fully aimed to achieve expected outcomes. When the moderately aggressi ve and the violent boys differed from the nonaggressive boys on attrib utional biases and low perceived self-worth, a continuum existed with violent boys displaying more extreme social-cognitive dysfunctions tha n the moderately aggressive boys. These findings carry implications fo r cognitive-behavioral intervention with severely violent and moderate ly aggressive youths.