Social information processing problems related to reactive and proactive aggression of adolescents in residential treatment

Abstract

Adolescents in residential treatment predominantly show externalizing problems. To provide more tailored treatments, gaining knowledge on underlying processes is important. Aggression is often subdivided in defensive/reactive, and instrumental/proactive aggression. The social information processing (SIP) model assumes that reactive aggression involves early SIP, whereas proactive aggression involves late SIP. This study investigated SIP steps in relation to reactive and proactive aggression of adolescents in residential treatment.In total 81 adolescents were included in the main analyses. A social information processing task using video-vignettes measured sequential SIP steps. Both zero-orde..