Aggressive and nonaggressive children : the relationship between affect, perceptions and the level of social engagement in conflict and cooperative situations

Eighteen aggressive, 18 mixed status (aggressive-nonaggressive), and 19 nonaggressive dyads participated in two experimental tasks. Dyads were composed of third through fifth grade children who were unfamiliar with each other. One task was intended to foster cooperative behavior, and the other task engaged dyads in a conflict situation. Assessment of the predominant behavior and predominant affect displayed by each subject was made for each task. Subjects also rated their perception of their partner after each task. Analyses were completed on the behavioral ratings, ratings of predominant affect, and the peer perception ratings. There were significant differences between the number of aggressive and nonaggressive children assigned a particular behavioral rating across both experimental tasks. Having an aggressive or nonaggressive peer partner also had a significant effect on children's behavior. Significant differences in the predominant affect of aggressive and nonaggressive children was evident in the cooperative task only. The peer perception ratings did not clearly discriminate aggressive and nonaggressive children. However, significant differences in how nonaggressive children rated an aggressive and nonaggressive partner were evident