Cognitive distortions as predictor of antisocial behaviour in children

The aim of this study was to investigate the reliability and validity of the How I think Questionnaire (HIT- Q), adapted to children in the age of 7 to 9 years old. The main hypothesis was that children between 7 and 9 years old demonstrate some cognitive distortions and that these distortions are predictive of antisocial behaviour. A group of 156 children from the second (N= 75) and the third grade (N= 88) participated in the study. The results showed that the children showed on average a low prevalence of cognitive distortions and that these distortions are predictive of self- reported antisocial behaviour. Another hypothesis was that there is a domain shift from the moral towards the non- moral domain in the evaluation of hypothetical situations concerning antisocial behaviour. New storyboards, consisting of pictures and stories were made that were suitable for children of the investigated age-group. No domain shift was found, except for a domain shift for boys concerning one hypothetical situation about oppositional behaviour