The interplay of perceived family factors and personal cognitive factors in predicting physical aggression among urban youth


Tezin Türü: Doktora

Tezin Yürütüldüğü Kurum: Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi, Eğitim Fakültesi, Eğitim Bilimleri Bölümü, Türkiye

Tezin Onay Tarihi: 2010

Öğrenci: EVRİM ÇETİNKAYA YILDIZ

Danışman: ZEYNEP SÜMER

Özet:

The purpose of the current study was to examine personal cognitive variables (adolescents’ beliefs supporting aggression, adolescents’ self-efficacy for alternatives to aggression, and adolescents’ personal value on achievement) as potential mediators of the relationship between perceived family factors (parental support for aggression, family conflict, and parental monitoring) and adolescents physical aggression among Turkish adolescents living in Ankara. Volunteered students (2443 sixth, seventh, and eighth graders) from randomly selected schools (36 primary school) participated in the study. Physical Aggression Scale, Beliefs Supporting Aggression Scale, Self- efficacy for Alternatives to Aggression Scale, Personal Value on Achievement Scale, Parent Adolescent Relationship-Monitoring Scale, Parental Support for Aggression Scale, and Family Conflict Scale were used in the data collection. Results of the SEM analyses showed that the models adequately described the data for the sample of male and female adolescents and the fit indices were all within the acceptable thresholds. When considering the explained variance in physical aggression; the latent model accounted for 48% of the variance in physical aggression among girls and 40% of the variance in physical aggression among boys. In general, the results suggested that the influence of perceived family factors on physical aggression can be mediated by personal cognitive factors. Moreover, the patterns of interactions and the strength of the relationships differed in boys and girls model. The results revealed that the proposed model of physical aggression, which was based on integration of problem behavior theory (Jessor, 1987) and social information processing model (Huesmann, 1998) was supported by the data.