S u m m a r y

 

Viemerö V (2002)

Factors predicting aggression in early adulthood

Psykologia 37:138-144. Vammala ISSN 0355-1067

 

Originally 220 Finnish children (105 boys and 115 girls) took part in a cross-cultural follow-up study on the relationships between exposure to TV-viewing and aggressive behavior. The subjects were 7 to 9 and 9 to 11 years old when they were studied for the first, second and third time, in three subsequent years, during 1978-1980. In addition to the subjects, the parents were also interviewed in the beginning of the study. In the fourth wave, 15 years later a total of 151 (70 males and 81 females) of these subjects were queried. There were only a few connections between parent and child variables in childhood. The longitudinal connections showed that aggression in childhood and the methods of upbringing by the parents were of importance in explaining the subjects' behavior in young adulthood. Regression analyses showed different models for male and female subjects. For the male subjects 68 % of the variance in aggressive behavior in young adulthood could be predicted with fantasies about unrealistic things, with parents' mobility, viewing of TV-violence and aggression. For the female subjects 39 % of the variance of drug use could be predicted with peer-nominated aggression and mothers' education.

 

Vappu Viemerö, Ph.D., Department of psychology, Åbo Akademi, FIN-20500 Åbo, Finland.