Justification of violence and grandiosity schemas as predictors of antisocial behavior in adolescents.

Full Abstract

This study assessed the role of grandiosity and justification of violence cognitive schemas as predictors of adolescents' antisocial behavior. The 974 Spanish adolescents (457 girls and 517 boys, aged between 14 and 18 years) were assessed at the beginning of the school year and at follow-up 6 months later. They completed measures of aggressive behavior and delinquent behavior, justification of violence and grandiosity cognitive schemas, and impulsivity. The results showed that grandiosity and justification of violence schemas predicted both aggressive and delinquent behavior 6 months later and that the association between grandiosity and aggressive behavior was moderated by impulsivity in boys. In general, the influence of the cognitive schemas in antisocial behavior was very similar for boys and girls. However, boys showed higher delinquent behavior rates than did girls and the tests of mediation revealed that this difference was partially accounted for by boys' higher scores in grandiosity and justification of violence.

Author information

Author/s: Calvete, Esther (E);

Affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Deusto, Apdo. 1, 48080 Bilbao, Spain. ecalvete(-atsign-)fice.deusto.es

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article

Journal: Journal of abnormal child psychology (J Abnorm Child Psychol), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2008-Oct; vol 36 (issue 7) : pp 1083-95

Dates: Created 2008/09/23; Completed 2009/01/23;

PMID: 18427976, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )

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