Social information processing, normative beliefs about aggression and parenting in children with mild intellectual disabilities and aggressive behavior

S Marjolein van Cappellen; Eva Kühl; Hilde D Schuiringa; Walter Matthys; Maroesjka van Nieuwenhuijzen

doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2023.104468

Social information processing, normative beliefs about aggression and parenting in children with mild intellectual disabilities and aggressive behavior

Res Dev Disabil. 2023 May:136:104468. doi: 10.1016/j.ridd.2023.104468. Epub 2023 Mar 7.

Authors

S Marjolein van Cappellen¹, Eva Kühl², Hilde D Schuiringa³, Walter Matthys⁴, Maroesjka van Nieuwenhuijzen⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Developmental Psychology, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS Utrecht, the Netherlands; Department of Clinical Child and Family Studies, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS Utrecht, the Netherlands. Electronic address: s.m.vancappellen@uu.nl.
² Department of Developmental Psychology, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS Utrecht, the Netherlands. Electronic address: e.kuhl@uu.nl.
³ Department of Developmental Psychology, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS Utrecht, the Netherlands. Electronic address: h.d.schuiringa@uu.nl.
⁴ Department of Clinical Child and Family Studies, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS Utrecht, the Netherlands. Electronic address: w.matthys@uu.nl.
⁵ Research Institute Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Nieuwe Achtergracht 127, 1001 NG Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Expect Jeugd, Paasheuvelweg 9, 1105 BE Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Electronic address: mvnieuwenhuijzen@pvj.nl.

PMID: 36893581
DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2023.104468

Abstract

Background: High levels of aggressive behavior in children with mild intellectual disabilities to borderline intellectual functioning (MID-BIF) are associated with deviant social information processing (SIP) steps. The current study investigated deviant SIP as a mediating mechanism linking both children's normative beliefs about aggression and parenting to aggressive behavior in children with MID-BIF. Additionally, the mediating role of normative beliefs about aggression in linking parenting and deviant SIP was investigated.

Methods: 140 children with MID-BIF in community care in the Netherlands, their parent(s) or caretaker(s), and their teacher participated in this cross-sectional study. Structural equation modeling was performed to test mediations. Models were run separately for parent and teacher reports of aggression, and included three deviant SIP steps (interpretation, response generation, response selection).

Results: A total indirect effect through deviant SIP steps was found from normative beliefs about aggression to teacher-reported aggression, but not to parent-reported aggression. An indirect effect was found from positive parenting through normative beliefs about aggression to deviant SIP.

Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that, next to deviant SIP and parenting, normative beliefs about aggression may be a relevant intervention target for children with MID-BIF and aggressive behavior.

Keywords: Aggressive behavior; Mild intellectual disabilities to borderline intellectual functioning; Normative beliefs about aggression; Parenting; Social information processing.

MeSH terms

Aggression
Child
Cognition / physiology
Cross-Sectional Studies
Humans
Intellectual Disability*
Parenting*