Multidimensional latent-construct analysis of children's social information processing patterns: Correlations with aggressive behavior problems.

Social information processing (SIP) patterns were conceptualized in orthogonal domains of process and context and measured through responses to hypothetical vignettes in a stratified sample of 387 children (50% boys; 49% minority) from 4 geographical sites followed from kindergarten through 3rd grade.Multidimensional, latent-construct, confirmatory factor analyses supported the withinconstruct internal consistency, cross-construct discrimination, and multidimensionality of SIP patterns.Contrasts among nested structural equation models indicated that SIP constructs significantly predicted children's aggressive behavior problems as measured by later teacher reports.The findings support the multidimensional construct validity of children's social cognitive patterns and the relevance of SIP patterns in children's aggressive behavior problems.A substantial body of empirical evidence indicates that children develop social-cognitive patterns that are correlated with individual differences in their social maladjustment, particularly aggressive behavior problems (Coie & Dodge, 1998;Huesmann, 1988).Patterns such as a child's lack of emotion understanding, the tendency to attribute hostile intent to peers, instrumental (rather than social) goal setting, ready accessing of aggressive responses to social problems, and the favorable evaluation of the outcomes of aggressing all have been significantly correlated with measures of aggressive conduct problems (Crick & Dodge, 1994) and have proven useful in predicting growth and change in aggressive behavior across time (Dodge, Pettit, Bates, & Valente, 1995).Furthermore, these patterns have been targeted for change through intervention (Conduct Problems Prevention Research Group, 1999).In spite of this evidence and growing interest, relatively little is known about the psychometric