Rethinking Aggression: A Typological Examination of the Functions of Aggression

By T. Little, J. Brauner, Stephanie M. Jones, Matthew K. Nock, P. Hawley. 2003

192 citations recorded by the source corpus.

We compared five subgroups of aggressive youth (n = 1,723, Grades 5 through 10) on a number of adjustment correlates. The subgroups were determined by the self-reported functions (i.e., "why") of their aggressive behavior: (a) an "instrumental" group who were high on instrumental reasons only; (b) a "reactive" group who were high on reactive reasons only; (c) a "both" group who were high on both dimensions; (d) a "typical" group who were moderate on both dimensions; and (e) a "neither" group who were low on both dimensions. The reactive and both groups showed consistent maladaptive patterns across the adjustment correlates. The instrumental and typical groups both showed generally adaptive and well-adjusted patterns. Surprisingly, the neither group revealed high levels of aggressive acts and showed consistent maladaptive patterns on the correlates. These distinct profiles highlight the utility of a typological approach to classifying aggressive youth and have implications for both assessment and intervention.

Subfields: Clinical Psychology, Developmental and Educational Psychology, Social Psychology

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/ad2404885cf3d93c11d246d0e3ea3fd12635ce2b

How researchers see this paper

The researchers whose trusted networks rank it highest, strongest advocate first. Every researcher gets a different order.

In Clinical Psychology

1. T. Little
2. G. Persson
3. René Veenstra
4. Siegwart Lindenberg
5. P. Hawley
6. J. Sijtsema
7. Andrew V. Dane
8. Z. Marini

In Developmental and Educational Psychology

1. G. Persson
2. T. Little
3. P. Hawley
4. René Veenstra
5. Dorothy Espelage
6. Sandra Leanne Bosacki
7. Siegwart Lindenberg
8. Z. Marini

In Social Psychology

1. René Veenstra
2. T. Little
3. G. Persson
4. Siegwart Lindenberg
5. P. Hawley
6. Andrew V. Dane
7. Z. Marini
8. J. Sijtsema

Citations in the corpus

• Voices from the classroom: pictorial and narrative representations of children's bullying experiences (2006, background): “The converse of proactive aggression is reactive aggression, which refers to emotionally driven attacks in response to some kind of provocation, such as retaliating in anger (Poulin & Boivin, 2000; Little et al., 2003).”
• Associations Among Empathy, Social Competence, & Reactive/Proactive Aggression Subtypes (2007, background): “measure developed by Little et al. (2003). This scale assesses both proactive and reactive forms of aggression, and”
• Forms and Functions of Aggression in Adolescent Friendship Selection and Influence: A Longitudinal Social Network Analysis: Aggression and Adolescent Friendships (2009, methodology): “The aim of the present study was to examine selection and influence effects in adolescent friendships with respect to specific aspects of aggression as defined in the forms and functions measurement system (Little et al., 2003b).”
• Developmental perspectives on prosocial and aggressive motives in preschoolers’ peer interactions (2005, background): “Whereas proactive or instrumental aggression is associated with the anticipation of self-serving outcomes, reactive aggression is a hostile response to provocations (Coie & Dodge, 1998; Little et al., 2003b).”