Rethinking aggression: A typological examination of the functions of aggression
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Issue Date
2003-07-01Author
Little, Todd D.
Brauner, Jessica
Jones, Stephanie M.
Nock, Matthew K.
Hawley, Patricia
Publisher
Wayne State University Press
Type
Article
Article Version
Scholarly/refereed, publisher version
Published Version
http://www.jstor.org/stable/23096059Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
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.
Description
This is the publisher's version, which is also available electronically from http://www.jstor.org/stable/23096059.
ISSN
0272-930XCollections
Citation
Little, Todd D. et al. (2003). "Rethinking aggression: A typological examination of the functions of aggression." Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 49(3):343-372. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23096059.
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