| Social information processing models of children's social adjustment suggest that cognitive distortions and self-perceived social competence determine the level of aggressive behavior demonstrated by children. This dissertation study examined the relationships among cognitive distortion, attributional bias, perceived self-competence, and aggression in aggressive and non-aggressive middle school students. A racially and ethnically diverse sample of 148 Boston-area students from 11--14 years old were administered the Self-Perception Profile for Children (Harter,1985), the How I Think Questionnaire (Barriga, Gibbs, Potter, & Liau, 2001), and the Aggression Questionnaire (Buss & Warren, 2000).;It was hypothesized that: (1) Cognitive distortions would correlate positively with aggressive behavior, that is aggressive students would exhibit a greater severity of cognitive distortions than their non-aggressive counterparts. (2) Aggression and self-perceived social competence would be related negatively. (3) Boys would exhibit more elevated levels of cognitive distortions and aggressive behaviors than girls.;Multivariate statistics including regression analysis models, analysis of variance, t-tests, and the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient were used to analyze the data. Implications for school professionals are discussed.;The results provide strong evidence that, in general, aggression is significantly related to cognitive distortions. Two subtypes of cognitive distortion (blaming others and assuming the worst) were statistically significant and accounted for a majority of the variance in aggression. Self-competence correlated negatively with aggression scores. Boys and girls were found to have similar levels of aggression and cognitive distortions.;By better understanding the relationship between cognitive processes and aggression in middle school students, we will illuminate opportunities for improved screening for potential aggression and violence. This knowledge can also inform intervention strategies that focus on cognitive restructuring to reduce the frequency and severity of aggressive behaviors. An additional benefit of treatment at the middle school age may be to prevent involvement with the criminal justice system thus allowing students to better focus on academics. |
