Prosocial and Aggressive Behavior: A Longitudinal Study

Activation of somatostatin neurons in the medial amygdala reverses long-term aggression and social deficits associated to early-life stress in male mice

Early postnatal development is a critical period for the configuration of neural networks that support social and affective-like behaviors. In this sense, children raised in stressful environments are at high risk to develop maladaptive behaviors immediately or later in life, including anti-social and aggressive behaviors. However, the neurobiological bases of such phenomena remain poorly understood. Here we showed that, at long-term, maternal separation with early weaning (MSEW) decreased the density of somatostatin-expressing (SST+) neurons in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) of females and males, while their activity was only reduced in the medial amygdala (MeA) of males. Interestingly, only MSEW males exhibited long-term behavioral effects, including reduced sociability and social novelty preference in the 3-chamber test (3CH), decreased social interest in the resident-intruder test (RI), and increased aggressivity in both the RI and the tube dominance test (TT). To test whether the manipulation of MeASST+ neurons was sufficient to reverse these negative behavioral outcomes, we expressed the chemogenetic excitatory receptor hM3Dq in MSEW adult males. We found that the activation of MeASST+ neurons ameliorated social interest in the RI test and reduced aggression traits in the TT and RI assays. Altogether, our results highlight a role for MeASST+ neurons in the regulation of aggressivity and social interest and point to the loss of activity of these neurons as a plausible etiological mechanism linking early life stress to these maladaptive behaviors in later life.

Exploring sibling prosocial and aggressive behavior in young people exposed and not exposed to intimate partner violence

BACKGROUND

Prosocial and aggressive behaviors between siblings have typically been studied independently; however, their joint investigation could provide valuable insight into relationship dynamics, particularly for young people exposed to intimate partner violence (IPV).

OBJECTIVES

The aims of the present study were: 1) to compare the degree of association and frequency of observed prosocial and aggressive behaviors between siblings who were and were not exposed to IPV; 2) to explore if characteristics of sibling relationships such as warmth and age spacing were significant predictors of prosocial and aggressive behavior in these groups, and 3) to explore if length of exposure moderated these predictors in families affected by IPV.

METHODS

Forty-seven mothers of two school-aged siblings with a history of IPV were recruited from the community, along with 45 families without such a history. Unstructured observations of sibling prosocial and aggressive behavior were conducted in a laboratory setting. Siblings reported on warmth in their relationships.

RESULTS

On average, both groups engaged in similar levels of prosocial and aggressive behavior; however, a greater number of siblings exposed to IPV engaged in aggression than unexposed siblings. While older sibling warmth and age spacing were significant positive predictors of prosocial behavior for both groups, length of exposure to IPV moderated these associations for exposed siblings only.

CONCLUSIONS

Sibling prosocial behavior was just as frequent in both groups, but aggressive behavior was more common between siblings exposed to IPV. The findings have important implications for interventions targeting siblings.

The effect of time pressure and ego depletion on young children's helping behavior

Based on the theory of limited cognitive resources and the dual-process theory, this study explores the mechanisms by which time pressure (an external factor) and ego depletion (an internal factor) affect helping behavior in children aged 4 to 6 years through two experiments. Experiment 1 (n = 153, M = 5.42 years, SD = 0.71) examined the impact of time pressure on children's helping behavior, while Experiment 2 (n = 221, M = 5.41 years, SD = 0.76) investigated the role of ego depletion. The results revealed that both time pressure and ego depletion significantly inhibited children's helping behavior, with notable age-related differences in these effects: the helping behavior of 4- and 5-year-old children was significantly reduced under conditions of time pressure and resource depletion, whereas 6-year-old children demonstrated greater resistance to these disruptions. These findings suggest that children's helping behavior relies more on the cognitive processing of the deliberative system rather than the automatic responses of the intuitive system. Furthermore, as children grow older, they gradually develop more effective cognitive resource regulation abilities to counteract the negative effects of resource depletion.

Psychometric properties of the Arabic versions of the perceived social competence scale and the prosociality scale

BACKGROUND

Prosocial behaviors refer to a variety of voluntary actions intended to benefit others and the society. They have consistently proven their capacity to promote individuals' well-being and personal development. Nevertheless, these constructs remain largely underexplored in the Arab world. Providing validated measures of prosocial behaviors in the Arabic language for the Lebanese population could direct research attention towards assessing these behaviors and their promoting factors, thereby enhancing positive psychology. In this regard, we aimed to psychometrically validate the Standard Arabic-translated versions of the Perceived Social Competence scale (PSCS) and Prosociality Scale (PS) among a sample of Lebanese adults.

METHODS

A total of 403 Lebanese adults (27% men and 73% women) completed an online questionnaire containing the PSCS and PS, as well as the Buss-Perry aggression questionnaire-short form, the Jong-Gierveld loneliness scale, and the depression anxiety stress scale.

RESULTS

Both of the PSCS and PS yielded a unidimensional factor structure and demonstrated high levels of composite reliability, with McDonald ω values of 0.83 and 0.95, respectively. The analysis also supported configural, metric, and scalar invariance across gender for the two scales. Convergent validity was evidenced by a high correlation between the PSCS and PS, both measuring prosocial behaviors. In addition, weak and/or non-significant relations between prosocial behaviors and non-theoretically relevant variables (i.e., aggression, loneliness, and psychological distress) provided evidence for the divergent validity of both scales.

CONCLUSION

Our study cautiously suggested that the Standard Arabic versions of the PSCS and PS are psychometrically valid for measuring prosocial behaviors. This study should prompt further research in the field of social competence/prosocial behaviors for the sake of promoting positive psychological interventions in Lebanon. Future research should prioritize the inclusion of more diverse samples, encompassing a wider range of sociodemographic characteristics, in order to enhance the generalizability of these findings to the broader Lebanese population.

Are prosocial tendencies relevant for developmental psychopathology? The relations of prosocial behavior and empathy-related responding to externalizing problems, internalizing problems, and autism spectrum disorder

The field of developmental psychopathology tends to focus on the negative aspects of functioning. However, prosocial behavior and empathy-related responding - positive aspects of functioning- might relate to some aspects of psychopathology in meaningful ways. In this article, we review research on the relations of three types of developmental psychopathology- externalizing problems (EPs), internalizing problems (IPs), and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) - to empathy-related responding (e.g., affective and cognitive empathy, sympathy, personal distress) and prosocial behavior. Empathy-related responding and prosocial behavior generally have been inversely related to EPs, although findings are sometimes reversed for young children and, for empathy, weak for reactive aggression. Some research indicates that children's empathy (often measured as emotional contagion) and personal distress are positively related to IPs, suggesting that strong sensitivity to others' emotions is harmful to some children. In contrast, prosocial behaviors are more consistently negatively related to IPs, although findings likely vary depending on the motivation for prosocial behavior and the recipient. Children with ASD are capable of prosocially and empathy-related responding, although parents report somewhat lower levels of these characteristics for ASD children compared to neurotypical peers. Issues in regard to measurement, motivation for prosociality, causal relations, and moderating and mediating factors are discussed.

Karate Kata training: A promising intervention for behavioral problems in elementary school children

Behavioral issues frequently arise in primary school children, affecting their academic performance, social interactions, and general welfare. These concerns encompass challenges related to attention, concentration, aggression, oppositional behavior, and social maladaptation. The purpose of the current study was to examine the impacts of karate Kata training on extrinsic behavioral problems of elementary school students. The Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) questionnaire was given to all fourth- to sixth-grade students from a male elementary school, totaling 241 students, in Mashhad, Iran. A total of 76 eligible school-aged children with a total score of 65 and above in attention, aggression, oppositional defiance, and social maladaptation issues were selected and randomly assigned to an exercise group (n = 38) or a no-exercise control group (n = 38). Participants in the exercise group were instructed to engage in Kata training, which consists of a series of choreographed movements designed to enhance physical and mental discipline, for a duration of 12 60-min sessions, whereas the participants in the control group followed their daily activities. The CBCL from the Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment was used to assess dependent variables such as attention and concentration, aggression, oppositional defiance, and social maladaptation at baseline and post-intervention. The repeated-measures analysis of variance indicated that Kata training results in significant improvements in attention and concentration and significant reductions in aggression, oppositional defiance, and social maladaptation among elementary school students (all ps < .001). These results highlight the potential benefits of incorporating Kata training into interventions aimed at improving the behavioral outcomes of children.

Uncovering hidden prosocial behaviors underlying aggression motivation in mice and young children

BACKGROUND

Animals exhibit a wide range of social behaviors, including positive actions that promote social cohesion and negative behaviors associated with asserting dominance. While these behaviors are often viewed as opposites, they can also exist independently or coexist in complex ways, necessitating further investigation into their interrelationships.

RESULTS

To study the interplay between these two types of behaviors, we examined mouse social behaviors using resident-intruder assays and revealed a negative correlation between social aggression and prosocial allogrooming. Suppressing aggressive motivation through various manipulations, including social subordination, olfaction ablation, and inhibition of aggressive neural circuits, led to an increased display of allogrooming behavior. The mouse findings prompted us to further explore the relationship between aggression and prosocial behaviors in preschool children. Similarly, we observed a negative association between aggression and prosocial behaviors, which were potentially influenced by their inhibitory control abilities.

CONCLUSIONS

Through this cross-species study, we uncovered the inhibitory impact of aggressive neural circuits on mouse allogrooming and established a link between aggression and prosocial behaviors in children. These insights offer valuable implications for understanding and potentially influencing social interactions in both animal and human contexts, with potential applications in preschool education practices.

Does Prosociality in Early-to Mid-Adolescence Protect Against Later Development of Antisocial Behaviours?

Connections between prosociality and antisocial behaviors have been recognized; however, little research has studied their developmental links longitudinally. This is important to illuminate during early adolescence as a sensitive period for social development in which prosociality could protect against the development of later antisocial behaviors. This study investigates the within-person developmental links between prosociality and antisocial behaviors, as well as a potential mediating role of peer relationships, across ages 11, 13, and 15 (N = 1526; 51% male) using random-intercept cross-lagged panel models. Results indicated that neither self-reported nor teacher-reported prosociality was associated with reduced aggressive behaviors but suggested a direct protective ('promotive') effect of teacher-reported prosociality on bullying perpetration. These findings suggest that promoting prosociality in early adolescence may help reduce some antisocial behaviors over early to mid-adolescent development. Improving prosociality could be explored as a target in intervention approaches such as school-based anti-bullying interventions.

Provoked and unprovoked aggression in toddlerhood: Evaluating measurement invariance and latent means across gender, age, and time

This paper re-examined the factor structure of a recently developed parent report of aggression, the Provoked and Unprovoked Aggression Questionnaire, and evaluated measurement invariance and latent mean differences across gender, age, and time. Participants were 333 mothers of toddlers (younger age group: n = 167, 53.9% boys, Mage Time 1  = 18.30 months, SD = 0.45; older age group: n = 166, 48.8% boys, Mage Time 1  = 24.29 months, SD = 0.38) who filled out provoked (eight items) and unprovoked (five items) aggression scales twice over a 3-month period. We found evidence for the configural, metric, and scalar measurement invariance-a requirement needed to make a meaningful comparison between aggression means across gender, age groups, and time. When comparing means for boys and girls, gender differences emerged earlier for unprovoked than provoked aggression. Also, the frequency of provoked aggression increased among younger, but not older, toddlers. By developing a brief parental report of aggression in toddlerhood, we hope to fill a void of early aggression measures that tap the contextual variability in aggressive behaviors, and thereby stimulate more research to further our understanding of different types of aggression and their correlates in toddlerhood.

Development of prosocial behavior and inhibitory control in late childhood: A longitudinal exploration of sex differences and reciprocal relations

This study examined longitudinal development of prosocial behavior, assessed by the parent-reported Strength and Difficulty Questionnaire, and inhibitory control, measured by the Opposite Worlds Task, in a sample aged 9 and 12 years (n = 9468, 49.9% girls, 85.8% White) from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. The goal was to assess whether the level of prosocial behavior at age 9 relates to change in inhibitory control, and vice versa. Sex differences were also explored. Latent change score models showed that low inhibitory control in boys at age 9 was associated with more decreases in prosocial behavior from 9 to 12 years of age. This may suggest that interventions targeting inhibitory control in boys may also foster their social competence.

Multidimensional profiles of Head Start children's social behaviors predict their interpretations of physical aggression

Preschool children's reasoning regarding moral events differs according to adversity and relates to aggression. Understanding morality in young children is paramount for understanding their aggressive behaviors. The study aims to identify patterns of aggression and prosocial behavior using Latent Class Analysis (LCA) and investigate how patterns of aggression and prosocial behavior relate to reasoning about prototypic moral events. One hundred six children (Mage  = 4.40 years old, SD = 0.55 years old, Range: 3.08-5.33 years old, 51% boys) enrolled in Head Start programs and their caregivers participated. In the fall caregivers completed surveys on forms (i.e., the manifestation of behavior) and functions of aggression (i.e., motivation of behavior), and prosocial behavior. The following spring children completed two moral reasoning tasks that measured children's judgment and reasoning of harm, and their attributions of transgressors' reasoning. The LCA revealed a 3-class solution: (1) high levels of relational aggression and moderate levels of prosocial behavior (bistrategic controllers), (2) low levels of both aggression and average prosocial behavior (uninvolved), (3) high levels of all types of aggression and low levels of prosocial behavior (high aggression). Subsequent analyses suggest that uninvolved children prioritize adhering to authority over other concerns, and bistrategic controllers focused on goal-oriented reasoning. Overall, our findings support that recognizing patterns of behavior may be useful in understanding children's moral reasoning.

A developmental perspective on the minimalist model: The case of respect for ownership

The developmental evidence for children's respect for ownership reveals that children will enforce the property rights of third parties before they themselves respect other's property. This pattern of development suggests the need for clarification or modification of the minimalist model. Here, I consider three explanations for the gap between knowledge and behavior for respect of ownership.

Assessing the Relationship between Prosocial Behavior and Well-Being: Basic Psychological Need as the Mediator

Previous research has established a positive link between prosocial behavior (PB) and psychological well-being. However, limited studies have explored the relationship between PB and well-being (WB), particularly among vocational students. Furthermore, the underlying mechanisms, including mediating factors, remain understudied in this context. This study aimed to investigate the association between PB and WB among vocational students while examining the mediating role of basic psychological needs. A sample of 221 vocational students (mean age = 19.68 years, SD = 1.57) completed anonymous questionnaires assessing PB, basic psychological needs, and WB. The results revealed a positive correlation between PB and WB in vocational students (r = 0.22, p < 0.01), with basic psychological needs partially mediating this relationship (β = 0.14, t = 10.85, p < 0.001, 95% CI = (0.18, 0.23)). These findings enhance our understanding of the association between PB and vocational students' WB, shed light on the mechanisms involved, and offer insights into promoting the well-being of vocational students.

Pretend play-based training improves some socio-emotional competences in 5-6-year-old children: A large-scale study assessing implementation

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of a pretend play-based training in 5-6-year-old children in a large scale school context on emotion comprehension, emotion regulation, prosocial behaviour and on their pretend play competences. The analysis of implementation variables was carried out in order to ensure program implementation quality in the experimental group. Results show an improvement in emotion comprehension and a decrease in aggressive behavioural responses in children in the experimental group (n = 101) compared to those in the control group (n = 79). Findings are discussed in regard to implementation outcomes and the influence of this form of play on the improvement of these variables.

Neurodevelopmental dimensional assessment of young children at high genomic risk of neuropsychiatric conditions

Background

Individuals with 22q11.2 deletion are at considerably increased risk of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric conditions. There have been very few studies investigating how this risk manifests in early childhood and what factors may underlie developmental variability. Insights into this can elucidate transdiagnostic markers of risk that may underlie later development of neuropsychiatric outcomes.

Methods

Thirty two children with 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome (22q11.2DS) (mean age = 4.1 [SD = 1.2] years) and 12 sibling controls (mean age = 4.1 [SD = 1.5] years) underwent in-depth dimensional phenotyping across several developmental domains selected as being potential early indicators of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric liability. Comparisons were conducted of the dimensional developmental phenotype of 22q11.2DS and sibling controls. For autistic traits, both parents and children were phenotyped using the Social Responsiveness Scale.

Results

Young children with 22q11.2DS exhibited large impairments (Hedge's g ≥ 0.8) across a range of developmental domains relative to sibling controls, as well as high rates of transdiagnostic neurodevelopmental and psychiatric traits. Cluster analysis revealed a subgroup of children with 22q11.2DS (n = 16; 53%) in whom neurodevelopmental and psychiatric liability was particularly increased and who differed from other children with 22q11.2DS and non-carrier siblings. Exploratory analyses revealed that early motor and sleep impairments indexed liability for neurodevelopmental and psychiatric outcomes. Maternal autism trait scores were predictive of autism traits in children with 22q11.2DS (intraclass correlation coefficients = 0.47, p = 0.046, n = 31).

Conclusions

Although psychiatric conditions typically emerge later in adolescence and adulthood in 22q11.2DS, our exploratory study was able to identify a range of early risk indicators. Furthermore, findings indicate the presence of a subgroup who appeared to have increased neurodevelopmental and psychiatric liability. Our findings highlight the scope for future studies of early risk mechanisms and early intervention within this high genetic risk patient group.

Adolescents' Perceptions of Social Risk and Prosocial Tendencies: Developmental Change and Individual Differences

Many prosocial behaviors involve social risks such as speaking out against a popular opinion, bias, group norm, or authority. However, little is known about whether adolescents' prosocial tendencies develop over time with their perceptions of social risks. This accelerated longitudinal study used within-subject growth-curve analyses to test the link between prosocial tendencies and social risk perceptions, in a sample of adolescents who completed self-reports annually for three years (N = 893; M age = 12.30 years, 10 - 14 years at Wave 1, and 10 - 17 years across the full study period; 50% Girls, 33% White non-Latinx, 27% Latinx, 20% African American, 20% Mixed/Other Race). The association between social risk tolerance and prosocial tendencies changed significantly across adolescence, such that at for younger adolescents, more prosocial tendencies were associated with less social risk tolerance, whereas for relatively older adolescents, more prosocial tendencies were associated marginally with more social risk tolerance. Additional individual differences by empathy (but not sensation seeking) emerged. These findings suggest that prosocial development across adolescence may be associated with an underlying ability to tolerate social risks.

Childhood executive control and adolescent substance use initiation: the mediating roles of physical and relational aggression and prosocial behavior

Although predictive associations between childhood executive control (EC) and adolescent substance use have been established in prior research, the developmental pathways involved in these long-term links have not been well understood. The goal of the current study was to investigate the degree to which aggressive behaviors, including both physical and relational aggression, and prosocial behaviors in elementary school operate as developmental pathways between preschool EC and adolescent substance use, while accounting for participants' age, sex, family history of substance use, and family socioeconomic status. Participants were 329 youth (49% male; 63.6% European American) who were recruited to participate in a study between 2006 and 2012 while youth were in preschool and elementary school and followed into adolescence. The sample was recruited from a small Midwestern city in the United States. EC was assessed with performance-based tasks when children were 5 years 3 months. Youth behaviors with peers were reported by teachers when participants were in elementary school. Self-reports of the substance use initiation (e-cigarettes, cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana) were obtained in adolescence via phone surveys. Mediation analyses revealed a statistically significant indirect effect from preschool EC to adolescent substance use through youth's engagement in relational aggression in elementary school (b = > -0.22 [-0.51; -0.08]; β = > -0.18). Our results suggest that developmental pathways to adolescent substance use may begin in preschool, setting the stage for susceptibility to engagement in relational aggression, which increases, in turn, youth's likelihood for substance use initiation in adolescence.

Change over time in interactions between unfamiliar toddlers

The frequency and length of games, conflicts, and contingency sequences that took place between toddlers as they got to know one another were studied using archival data. The sample consisted of 28 unfamiliar 20- and 30-month-old toddlers (predominantly White, 16 males) who met separately with each of two other toddlers for 18 play dates. The frequency of games increased over time, while the frequency of conflict and contingency sequences decreased. The length of games increased over time while the length of conflicts and contingency sequences were stable. Age and language ability predicted changes in frequency and length of the different types of sequences. Thus, toddlers engage in less structured interactions when they first meet; their interactions become increasingly more organized and positive as the relationship evolves.

"A pirate goes nee-nor-nee-nor!" humor with siblings in middle childhood: A window to social understanding?

Humor is a central feature of close and intimate relationships in childhood. However, fundamental questions regarding the relationship between humor production, pretend play, and social understanding have been overlooked. In a selected subsample from a prospective longitudinal study of first-born children (N = 110, M age = 6.91 years, 46.4% female, 98.1% parents identified as English, Welsh, Scottish, or Irish), we conducted detailed observational coding of children's humor production during dress-up play with younger siblings. Focal children also completed a battery of social understanding tasks that measured emotion understanding and second-order belief understanding. Focal children were also observed during solo free play with Playmobil, and their spontaneous references to others' cognitions and play with objects were coded. Correlation analyses indicated that children's word play with their sibling was associated with their tendency to engage in pretense during solo play. Regression analyses showed that humorous sound play with siblings was associated with their emotion understanding and playful teasing with siblings was associated with their spontaneous references to others' cognitive states during solo free play. Our findings contribute to knowledge and theory regarding domains of development associated with humor production in childhood. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Caregivers' everyday moral reasoning predicts young children's aggressive, prosocial, and moral development: Evidence from ambulatory assessment

Developmental theories have proposed caregiver reactions, in particular caregivers' moral reasoning with their children, as crucial factors in children's developing morality. Yet, empirical evidence is scarce and mainly restricted to laboratory contexts. Here, we used the ambulatory assessment method to investigate how caregiver responses to moral transgressions longitudinally relate to children's emerging moral agency. On the first measurement point, mothers (N = 220) reported on nine consecutive evenings on a moral transgression of their 5- to 46-month-olds', their emotional and verbal reactions, and how in turn their child reacted. Five months later, mothers reported on their child's aggressive and prosocial (helping, sharing, comforting) behavior. Our results demonstrated that (1) caregiver reasoning supported children's sharing and comforting behavior and was related to lower levels of children's aggressive behavior half a year later, that (2) caregiver reasoning reactions supported children's negative evaluations of their own transgressions while compliance-based caregiver reactions (e.g., physical interventions, reprimands) were predictive of children's subsequent emotional distress and anger, and that (3) caregiver social conformity and reflective functioning abilities emerged as determinants of caregiver negative moral emotions. Thus, this study uses an innovative methodological approach to uncover key characteristics of caregiver moral reactions supporting the development of morality.

Impact of a physician's prosocial behavior on the patient's choice: an empirical investigation in online health community

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of a physician’s prosocial behavior on a patient's choices in the online health community (OHC) context. Moreover, the authors explore how such effects differ across different online word-of-mouth (WOM) and professional titles.

Design/methodology/approach

Guided by the motivation, opportunity and ability (MOA) framework, this paper develops hypotheses and an econometric model. Then this paper used spline regression to test hypotheses on 6,204 physicians at The Good Doctor (www.Haodf.com), which is one of the largest Chinese OHCs. The authors conducted the propensity score matching and difference-in-difference method (PSM-DID) to address the concern about the bias caused by possible endogeneity concerns.

Findings

The authors’ results show that a physician’s prosocial behavior improves a patient's choice only when the strength of a physician’s prosocial behavior is below the tipping point. In addition, the influence of a physician’s prosocial behavior is heterogeneous for physicians with different online WOM and professional titles. For physicians with higher online WOM, the effect of a physician's prosocial behaviors on a patient's choice is positive, while for physicians with lower online WOM, a physician’s prosocial behavior has no impact on a patient’s choice. For physicians with higher professional titles, the quantity of a physician’s prosocial behavior has a positive impact on a patient’s choice, while for physicians with lower professional titles the quality of a physician’s prosocial behavior has a positive impact on a patient’s choice.

Originality/value

This study contributes new knowledge and provides new perspectives to study a patient's choice by addressing the importance of physician's prosocial behavior. With the effort of explicitly explaining the complex mechanisms, this study encourages physicians' engagement in a physician’s prosocial behavior and gives some implications on how to perform the behaviors strategically.

Kindchenschema and cuteness elicit interest in caring for and playing with young children, but less so when children are masked

Cuteness in the young has long been theorized to elicit care and protection. Most research on this topic has focused on human infants, despite theories suggesting that cuteness may elicit broader social interest that could support learning and development beyond infancy. In four experiments (N = 531 adults, 98 children), we tested whether 'kindchenschema'-facial features associated with cuteness-and perceived cuteness elicit interest in playing with and caring for children, and whether masks disrupt these processes. Participants viewed images of children's faces, masked or unmasked. Kindchenschema correlated with perceived cuteness and age, and these variables predicted adults' interest in playing with and caring for children. Masks did not reduce cuteness ratings or interest in children, although they weakened relations between perceived cuteness and interest, and between perceived age and interest. Cuteness and related signals may guide adults' interactions with children, fostering learning and development.

Adaptation of Questionnaire about Aggressive Beliefs and Attitudes in Spanish Adolescents

Aggressive beliefs and attitudes are increasingly present in adolescents, and it can be argued that they are a prevalent feature of adolescence. Michel, Pace, Edun, Sawhney, and Thomas’s (2014) original thirty-item scale was later shortened to a more parsimonious eight-item scale (ABA-SF). This study addresses the adaptation and validation of the brief Aggressive Beliefs and Attitudes Scale to Spanish adolescents. The sample comprised a group of Spanish adolescents (N = 771, M age = 14.01 years). A total of two studies were undertaken: (1) the scale was translated into Spanish and its internal consistency, factorial structure and convergent validity were established; and (2) factorial analysis was undertaken to confirm the questionnaire. The results yielded high scores for internal consistency, reliability (α = 0.82; Ω = 0.83) and convergent validity. The examination of the underlying nomological network revealed links with positive and negative feelings, anxiety and aggression. According to the Exploratory Factorial Analysis (EFA), the aggregate variance of the factors in the scale was 65.814%, indicating that they can explain variations in aggression levels in adolescents. For its part, the Factorial Confirmatory Analysis (FCA) confirmed the match between the translation and the model, leading to a sustainable model composed by the three factors identified and eight items: χ2 (17) = 30.693; p < 0.001; χ2/gL = 1.805; CFI = 0.968; NFI = 0.837; TLI = 0.944; RMSEA = 0.060, IC del 95% (0.048−0.072). The short scale is easy to understand and quick to complete and is thus considered a useful instrument to assess aggression levels in adolescents.

Neural processing of moral content reflects moral identity in 10-year-old children

Middle childhood seems to be crucial for the emergence of a moral identity, that is, an evaluative stance of how important it is for someone's sense of self to be moral. This study investigates the effects of moral identity on the neural processing of moral content in 10-year-old children. Participants were presented with scenes portraying prosocial and antisocial behavior, while electroencephalographic responses were collected. Analyses of event-related potentials (ERPs) showed that, for children with a strong moral identity, antisocial scenes elicited a greater early posterior negativity (EPN) as compared to prosocial scenes. Thus, for children with a strong moral identity, antisocial scenes capture more attentional resources than prosocial ones in early processing stages. In contrast to previous findings with adults, the implicit moral self-concept was not related to any ERP differences. Overall, the results show that, even in its developmental emergence, moral identity relates to the neurocognitive processing of third-party moral content. Together, the study supports the social-cognitive model of the development of moral identity a based on a chronical activation of moral schemas that guide a person's perception of the social world. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.