Caregivers’ Grit Moderates the Relationship Between Children’s Executive Function and Aggression

Frontiers in Psychology

Tatia M. C. Lee²  Yu Gao³  Adrian Raine⁴  Bess Y. H. Lam⁷  Annis L. C. Fung⁸ 

[1] 0The State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong;1Institute of Clinical Neuropsychology, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong;Brooklyn College, The City University of New York, New York, NY, United States;Department of Criminology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States;Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States;Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States;Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong;Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong;Laboratory of Cognitive Affective Neuroscience, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong;Laboratory of Neuropsychology, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong;The Graduate Center, The City University of New York, New York, NY, United States;

关键词: executive function;    proactive aggression;    reactive aggression;    perseverance;    grit;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00636

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

ObjectivePrevious studies have shown that the impairment of executive function is positively related to aggression in children and adolescents. What is worth investigating is the moderator of such a relationship so that aggressive behavior can be reduced effectively in those who have executive function problems. The present study examined the association between executive function and two major subtypes of aggression (proactive and reactive aggression) and whether their caregivers’ grit (perseverance) moderated such relationship.MethodExecutive function and reactive and proactive aggression were assessed in 254 children and adolescents aged 8–19 years old, and their caregivers’ grit was measured.ResultsResults show that caregivers’ grit plays a significant role in moderating the relationship between children’s executive function and proactive aggression after controlling for the covariates including the children’s age, gender, and family income. Specifically, children’s executive function became more negatively associated with proactive aggression when caregivers’ grit was high while the association was positive when it was low. On the other hand, the association between children’s executive function and reactive aggression did not vary across different levels of caregivers’ grit.ConclusionThese findings suggest that proactive aggression may be reduced in those who have better executive function by enhancing their caregivers’ grit, which inform the design of interventions in adjunct with the current approach (e.g., executive function training) to reduce aggression in children and adolescents in the community.

【 授权许可】

Unknown