Developing Relationships, Being Cool, and Not Looking Like a Loser: Social Goal Orientation Predicts Children’s Responses to Peer Aggression

Abstract

Little is known about individual differences in how children respond to peer aggression. This research explored the contribution of social goal orientation, specifically development goals (improving social skills and relationships), demonstration-approach goals (gaining positive judgments), and demonstration-avoidance goals (minimizing negative judgments). Children (M age = 7.97, SD = .34) were followed from 2nd to 3rd grade. Validity of the social goal orientation construct was established through correlations with situation-specific goals and social adjustment. Development goals predicted adaptive responses (more effortful engagement, problem solving, advice seeking; fewer involuntary responses); demonstration goals predicted maladaptive responses (less effortful engagement, problem solving; more disengagement, retaliation). This study contributes to theoretical understanding of the process of peer aggression and interventions to promote optimal social health.

Revenge is seductive, if not sweet: Why friends matter for prevention efforts

“…A particular source of confusion is the categorization of retaliatory actions that have the well-regulated quality of proactive aggression (Bushman & Anderson, 2001;Dodge, 1991;Frey et al, 2014;Rudolph, Abaied, Flynn, Sugimura, & Agoston, 2011). For example, when revenge is delayed until the avenger holds the upper hand, the hostile goal is paired with strategic thinking.…”

Including social goals in achievement motivation research: Examples from the Philippines

“…As such, she asks students to answer questions such as "How often do you try to share what you have learned with your classmates?" On the other hand, Ryan and Shim's (2008) definition of social-achievement goals emphasizes orientations towards social competence and not towards studying specifically (see also Elliot, Gable, & Mapes, 2006;Mouratidis & Michou, 2011;Rudolph, Abaied, Flynn, Sugimura, & Agoston, 2011). A sample item of their social achievement goal would be, "I like it when I learn better ways to get along with friends."…”

Do extraversion and neuroticism moderate the association between bullying victimization and internalizing symptoms? A three-wave longitudinal study

“…Similarly, the interaction of low levels of assertiveness, which is negatively correlated with extraversion, with high levels of peer victimization at age 9 was predictive of the exhibition of depressive symptoms at age 11 (Keenan et al, 2010). In addition, children with social goal orientations use more adaptive responses to cope with bullying victimization (Rudolph, Abaied, Flynn, Sugimura, & Agoston, 2011).…”