| Abstract
Violent and aggressive behavior has been identified as a significant public health issue that has widespread consequences for both the perpetrator and its recipients. Research assessing risk factors for aggressive behavior has found that systemic social variables such as peer group values affect the development of these behaviors (Dishion et al., 2004). Moreover, individual characteristics such as self-control or regulatory skills have also been identified as predictive factors for later problem behaviors (DeWall, Baumeister, Stillman & Gaillot, 2007). The current study aimed to better understand how social relationships, particularly prosocial peer group interactions can influence aggressive behavior in response to a laboratory provocation. The extent to which an individual's self-control can mediate that relationship was also explored. The study sample contained 153 adolescents aged 11-14, who were asked to participate in the Survivor Game, a mock social media contest in which they were provided either positive
or negative feedback by same-age peer confederates. It was hypothesized that adolescents who reported higher prosocial peer behaviors would exhibit higher levels of effortful control, which would predict lower aggressive behavior. Although the direct relationship between peer prosocial behaviors and aggression was not significant (p > .05), self control significantly mediated the relationship between peer prosocial behaviors and aggression, 95% ACI [.009, .177], p < .05. Multiple groups analysis did not yield any
significant differences across experimental and control conditions, suggesting that the mediated effect was the same regardless of the level of provocation received during the experimental manipulation. Implications for continued research and clinical intervention in a developmental framework are discussed. |