Brendgen et al (2005) Flashcards
What was the aim of Brendgen study?
To investigate the relative contribution to social aggression compared with physical aggression of genes and two types of environment
(shared and non shared)
Where did Brendgen use data from?
Used data from 234 twin pairs who were part of an ongoing longitudinal study (Quebec Newborn Twin Study)
This study gathered data from the twins at birth and at regular intervals thereafter
Why type of data did Brendgen use in her study?
Used secondary data for her research, focusing specifically on data gathered from the twins at the age of six
What was one control employed in the twin study Brendgen used?
Of the 234 twin pairs, some were MZ and some were DZ
One control was to compare MZ twins with the same sex DZ twin pairs
Majority of twin pairs shared their classrooms at school - sociometric data and teacher ratings obtained from a total of 409 classrooms
What methods were used to gain information about social and physical aggression in Brendgens study?
Teacher and peer ratings
Teachers completed behaviour questionnaires for the twin(s) in their class
Teachers rated the child’s social and physical aggression using standard scales
How did they rate the extent of social aggression in Brendgens study?
Rated the extent to which the child:
‘tries to make others dislike a child’
‘becomes friends with another child for revenge’
‘says bad things or spreads nasty rumours about another child’
How did they rate the extent of physical aggression in Brendgens study?
The teachers indicated to what extent the child:
‘gets into fights’
‘physically attacks others’
‘hits, bites or kicks others’
How were responses for aggression given in Brendgens study?
Responses given on a 3 point scale
0 = never 1 = sometimes 2 = often
How was a total social and physical aggression score calculated in Brendgens study?
Respective individual item scores were added together to yield a total social aggression score and a total physical aggression score
How were peer ratings determined in Brendgens study?
Photos of all the children given to the class
Children asked to circle the faces of three children who best fit different behavioural descriptors
What were two behavioural descriptors used for social aggression in Brendgens study?
‘tells others not to play with a child’
‘tells mean secrets about another child’
What were two behavioural descriptors used for physical aggression in Brendgens study?
‘gets into fights’
‘hits, bites or kicks others’
What were the results when responses were analysed in Brendgens study?
According to teachers, boys were more physically aggressive than girls and girls more socially aggressive
According to peers, boys were more physically aggressive and more socially aggressive than girls
What were the correlations between teacher and peer ratings like in Brendgens study?
Correlations were moderate for social aggression (r=0.33, p0.000) and for physical aggression (r=0.25, p0.000)
This means that a child seen as socially aggressive was also seen as physically aggressive and vice versa
