Citation

Giles JW. Dev. Rev. 2003; 23(4): 413-443.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2003, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/S0273-2297(03)00039-X

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The present paper reviews children's tendency to engage in essentialist reasoning about aggression. First, children's tendency to conceive of aggression as both stable over time and due to intrinsic factors is examined. Then, contextual and social factors that may promote essentialist reasoning about aggression are explored, followed by a consideration of the motivational and social implications of such reasoning. Finally, several directions for future research are proposed, including a deeper understanding of the development of essentialist beliefs about aggression in children's real-world contexts.