A closer examination of aggressive subtypes in early childhood: contributions of executive function and single-parent status

ABSTRACT

Several theories of aggression agree that aggression may be a part of a decision-making process, influenced by current internal states and environmental influences. With more than one-quarter of preschool-age children living in single-parent households, we sought to understand how these children might differ from their peers regarding specific subtypes of aggression, with consideration of executive function. Teachers completed aggression questionnaires for 143 children (aged 3–6 years), parents provided demographics, and children completed the Day-Night Stroop task. Findings show differential relations for EF capacities and aggressive subtypes, and children of single-parent families received greater scores of relational aggression. Together, findings suggest that cognitive and environmental factors differentially relate to specific types of aggressive behaviour during early childhood, providing further support that subtypes of aggression should be considered unique. Implications and limitations are discussed in concert with prior work.

KEYWORDS:

• Proactive-physical aggression
• proactive-relational aggression
• reactive-physical aggression
• reactive-relational aggression
• executive function
• single-parent
• early childhood

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Erin Ruth Baker, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in Educational and Counseling Psychology at the University at Albany, State University of New York, in Albany, NY. Her research examines behavioral decision-making regarding socio-moral domains of child development, specifically in early childhood.

Cjersti J. Jenson is a doctoral student at Bowling Green State University, in Bowling Green, OH. Her works focuses primarily on the development of prejudice and stereotypes in young children.

Marie S. Tisak, Ph.D., is a Professor of Psychology at Bowling Green State University, in Bowling Green, OH. Her current interests involve examining the socio-cognitive underpinnings of aggression in delinquent youths.

ORCID

Erin R. Baker http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6750-1331