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Aggressive behavior in normal and deviant members of intact versus mother-only families

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Abstract

Single-parent families have been identified as using more coercion and aggression to elicit compliance than intact families. The present study compared 9 mother-only and 15 intact families from a referred clinical sample to 9 mother-only and 16 intact nonreferred “normal” families using a family behavioral observation code. Clinical families emitted higher rates of aggressive behavior than normals, and mother-only emitted higher rates than intact. However, mother-only normals had lower rates than intact clinical families. The intact versus mother-only factor appears to be less important in understanding aggression than do the specific interactional patterns of family members.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate Studies-Counseling Psychology, Indiana State University, 47809, Terre Haute, Indiana

    Arthur M. Horne

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  1. Arthur M. Horne
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Additional information

Support for this research was provided in part by NIMH grant 1 RO3 MN31509 CD, through the Center for the Study of Crime and Delinquency, and by support from the Indiana State University Faculty Research Committee. This is part of a 10-year project conducted by the Oregon Social Learning Center examining aggressive child families, and primary data collection was performed through the Oregon Social Learning Center. Appreciation is expressed to Betty Brummet, Gayle Home, and Patricia Reinker for assistance in data collection, to Brian Bauske and Barry Van Dyck for assistance in computer analyses, and to the staff of the Oregon Social Learning Center for constructive assistance.

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Horne, A.M. Aggressive behavior in normal and deviant members of intact versus mother-only families. J Abnorm Child Psychol 9, 283–290 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00919120

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00919120

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