RELATIONS BETWEEN SELF-SERVING COGNITIVE DISTORTIONS AND OVERT VS. COVERT ANTISOCIAL-BEHAVIOR IN ADOLESCENTS

The present study addressed the relations between cognitive distortion s (inaccurate thoughts, attitudes, or beliefs) and antisocial behavior that is either overt/confrontational (e.g., fighting) or covert/nonco nfrontational (e.g., stealing). A controlled analysis of 52 male delin quents and a comparison sample of 51 high school students aged 14-18 y ears found the delinquents to be higher in both cognitive distortions and self-reported antisocial behavior. Furthermore, cognitive distorti on related specifically to overt and covert antisocial behavior in bot h samples. In particular, cognitive distortion having overt antisocial behavior as its referent (e.g., ''People need to be roughed up once i n a while'') evidenced a significant path to overt but not covert anti social behavior Conversely, covert-referential cognitive distortion (e .g, ''If someone is careless enough to lose a wallet, they deserve to have it stolen'') evidenced a significant path to covert but not overt antisocial behavior. The theoretical and treatment implications of th e findings are discussed. (C) 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.