The development of forms and functions of aggression during early childhood

Aggressive behaviors in children can be harmful and disruptive and frequently indicate risk for psychological disorders. The contributors to and consequences of aggression depend on both the form (i.e., physical versus relational) and function (i.e., initiating versus reacting) of such conduct. This project is among the first to examine early behavioral precursors to these different types of aggression among preschoolers. This study's unique contribution is to follow children's development over time to capture how different pathways lead to different types of aggression. A multi-method study using psychophysiological and behavioral observation measures will identify the physiological and early personality features that precede and predict different types of aggression. 230 preschoolers will be assessed at three time points over a 15 month time period. The first objective is to test distinct longitudinal pathways to forms and functions of aggression, including: 1) a developmental pathway resulting from emotion dysregulation; and 2) a developmental pathway resulting from temperamental fearlessness. The second objective is to model the mediating processes through which each personality profile leads to subtypes of aggression. This project will benefit Dr. Ostrov's ethnically and racially diverse graduate and undergraduate research assistants who will be trained on valuable research skills in the psychological and developmental sciences. These formative experiences have the potential to shape the next generation of scientists. Moreover, the proposed project has the potential to impact a significant portion of children, families, and schools within society at large.