Citation

Werner NE, Crick NR. J. Abnorm. Psychol. 1999; 108(4): 615-623.

Affiliation

Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota 55455, USA. well0126@tc.umn.edu

Copyright

(Copyright © 1999, American Psychological Association)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

10609426

Abstract

Although the understanding of aggression has been significantly advanced through the study of relational aggression, past research has been limited by its predominant focus on children. This study examines the associations between relational aggression and social-psychological adjustment in a sample of young adults. A peer-nomination instrument was constructed to assess relational aggression, and self-reports of adjustment were obtained from 225 college students (45% male; mean age = 19.5). Regression analyses showed that relational aggression provided unique information, after controlling for age and gender, about peer rejection, prosocial behavior, antisocial personality features, and borderline personality features. Interactions with gender further showed that, for women, relational aggression was linked with bulimic symptoms. The importance of relational aggression for understanding adjustment problems during young adulthood are discussed.

Language: en