It takes two to fight: A test of relational factors and a method for assessing aggressive dyads

Observations of aggressive interactions in boys' laboratory play groups wer e used to evaluate the relative importance of relational and individual fac tors in accounting for aggressive acts. A classroom peer-rating method for identifying mutually aggressive dyads was validated in 11 5-session play gr oups, composed of 2 mutually aggressive boys and 4 randomly selected male c lassmates from 11 predominately African American 3rd-grade classrooms. When the social relations model was used, relationship effects accounted for eq ually as much of the variance in total aggression and proactive aggression as either actor or target effects. Mutually aggressive dyads displayed twic e as much total aggression as randomly selected dyads. Members of mutually aggressive dyads attributed greater hostile intentions toward each other th an did randomly selected dyads, which may serve to explain their greater ag gression toward each other. The importance of studying relational factors, including social histories and social-cognitive processes, is discussed.