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Preliminary Investigation of a New Pictorial Method of Measuring Aggression-Supportive Cognition Among Young Aggressive Males

NCJ Number
230241
Journal
International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology Volume: 54 Issue: 2 Dated: April 2010 Pages: 236-249
Author(s)
Jade N. Hutchings; Theresa A. Gannon; Elizabeth Gilchrist
Date Published
April 2010
Length
14 pages
Annotation
A new pictorial assessment was developed to measure aggression-supportive cognitions among young aggressive male students.
Abstract
The assessment was comprised of 17 watercolor ambiguous sketches that could be interpreted in either an aggressive or a benign manner (e.g., two young people facing each other with their arms folded). The results showed that high trait aggressive male students were more likely to make hostile attributions of the pictures, providing significantly more themes of entitlement and power in the stories they generated about the pictures. Aggressive male students also endorsed significantly more aggression-supportive cognitions on a self-report measure and provided some supporting qualitative accounts of physically aggressive encounters. The results of this study are discussed and evaluated with reference to future work with young violent adolescents. Figures and references (Published Abstract)