Citation

Ellenbogen S, Trocme N, Wekerle C. Can. J. Behav. Sci. 2012; 44(4): 300-307.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, Canadian Psychological Association, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1037/a0028690

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Evidence linking problematic violence outcome expectancies (VOEs) to aggression comes mostly from research in which hypothetical scenarios and experimenter-suggested expectancies were used to measure VOEs. In this study, self-generated VOEs were elicited by asking a sample of Child Protective Services recipients to write what they thought would happen if they behaved aggressively, and whether they would like this outcome. A unique coding strategy was devised to allow for statistical analyses. Self-reported aggression was measured 1 year later. Aggressive adolescents were more likely to elicit expectancies related to minimising the event (e.g., nothing, we'll laugh) and physical retaliation by the victim. Aggressive and nonaggressive youth reported roughly the same amount of liked and not liked responses, and a comparable diversity of expectancies.

RESULTS point to the need for further refinement of social information processing models, because the VOEs of aggressive youth seemed to be guided by a harsh view of the social world. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Keywords

Adolescent Attitudes; Aggressive Behavior; Child Abuse; Child Neglect; Child Welfare; Expectations; Health Care Utilization; Interpersonal Relationships; Intimacy; Physical Abuse; Protective Services; Treatment Outcomes