Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Date

2021

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Department

Psychology

Committee Chair

Robert Cohen

Committee Member

Kristoffer Berlin

Committee Member

Randy Floyd

Committee Member

Thomaseo Burton

Abstract

The present research examined the association of empirically derived, person centered profiles based on overt, relational, and cyber aggression to peer liking and popularity over a two-year period. Children from six cohorts of grades 3 5 (IRB approved) participated in the study (boys = 127, girls = 165; primarily middle-class SES families). A latent profile analysis (LPA) was conducted using third grade levels of the three subtypes of aggression. Three distinct groups were identified: non-aggressive (low in all three forms), traditionally aggressive (high only in overt and relational aggression), cyber aggressive (only high in cyber aggression). Growth curve models indicated that the non-aggressive group showed a higher initial level in popularity and a slower rate of change in both popularity and liking over time than the traditionally aggressive group. The non-aggressive group showed higher initial rates of popularity and peer liking compared to the cyber aggressive group. Lastly, the traditionally aggressive group showed a higher initial rate and higher rate of change in popularity and peer liking compared to the cyber aggressive group. These findings highlight that subtypes of aggression may serve different social functions for children, over time, and the importance of a person-centered approach for exploring these associations of subtypes to peer social standing.

Comments

Data is provided by the student.

Library Comment

Dissertation or thesis originally submitted to ProQuest

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