Development of interpersonal cognitive problem-solving skills : a comparison of aggressive versus normal children and their primary caretakers

Previous research has suggested that interpersonal cognitive problem-solving (ICPS) skills are significant mediators of classroom adjustment, and that aggressive children are deficient in ICPS skills as compared to well-adjusted children. The present study explored the relevance of parents' ICPS skills and childrearing style to their children's development of ICPS skills.

The subjects included 43 boys, aged 10 to 12, and their primary caretaker(s). Twenty-eight of the boys who had been identified by their teachers as the most aggressive, disruptive children in their classroom comprised the Aggressive group. The remaining 15 boys were in the Normal Comparison group, having been identified by their teachers as the most well-adjusted boys in their class.

Direct observation of classroom behavior as well as teachers' and mothers' rating of aggression indicated significant differences between the two groups. However, the boys did not differ on measures of problem-solving thinking and alternative generation. The expected relationship between ICPS skills and classroom behavior was not found for the Aggressive group. For the Normal Comparison group, higher levels of alternative generation were associated with higher percentages of aggressive/disruptive behavior and with lower percentages of on-task behavior.

Parents' abilities in child-related means-ends thinking, adult-related means-ends thinking, and adult-related optional thinking were not significantly related to sons' ICPS skills for either the Aggressive or Normal Comparison group. Mothers of aggressive boys were significantly more authoritarian and directive in their childrearing style than mothers of normal boys. Fathers of aggressive boys also tended to show this pattern. However, the expected positive correlation between parents' childrearing style and sons' ICPS skills did not reach significance for either group. Multivariate analysis indicated that the patterns of relationships of parents' and sons' ICPS skills did not differ significantly between the two groups.

The lack of relationship between parents' and sons' interpersonal cognitive problem-solving suggests that future research should explore other factors which may be salient to the development of these skills. Peer relationships rather than classroom behavior may also be a more relevant dimension of adjustment for this age group.