Capturing mechanisms of change: Weekly covariation in anger regulation, hostile intent attribution, and children's aggression.

ABSTRACT: Interventions for children's aggression typically target assumed underlying mechanisms, such as anger regulation and hostile intent attribution. The expectation here is that targeting these mechanisms will result in within-person changes in aggression. However, evidence for these mechanisms is mostly based on between-person analyses. We, therefore, examined whether within-person changes in adaptive anger regulation and hostile intent attribution covaried with within-person changes in children's aggression. Children (N = 223; age 7-12; 46% boys) filled out four weekly report measures to assess adaptive anger regulation, hostile intent attribution, and aggression. The psychometric properties of these novel measures were adequate. Results of multi-level analyses revealed within-person effects

SUBMITTER: Alsem SC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9306713 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature