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Relationship of Cognitive Functioning and Aggressive Behavior with Emotionally Disabled and Specific Learning Disabled Students

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Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between cognitive functioning and Emotionally Disabled (ED) and Specific Learning Disabled (SLD) students' aggressive behavior. Secondarily, it was of interest to examine the two groups' academic functioning and social factors related to aggressive behavior. Data were analyzed using initial and most recent Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Third Edition (WISC-III) scores and Woodcock—Johnson—Revised (WJ-R) scores obtained from students' special education folders. District discipline records and local juvenile court records were searched for documentation of participants' aggressive conduct disorder (CD) behavior. The sample consisted of 322 special education students from an urban school district in the American Southwest. Of this sample, 168 students had been previously identified as ED and 154 as SLD. Seventy percent were males and 30% were females, which approximated the gender distribution of the district's special education population. The ethnic distribution of the sample included White (67%), Hispanic (24%), Black (7%), and other (2%), which was representative of both the district and its special education population. Results indicated that ED and SLD students identified as aggressive demonstrated significantly lower initial WISC-III Verbal IQ scores in comparison to their initial Performance IQ scores. However, this relationship was not observed in subsequent testing. ED students demonstrated a significant decrease in WISC-III Full Scale IQ scores when initial and most recent scores were compared. In addition, aggressive ED students demonstrated a significant decrease in WISC-III Verbal IQ scores. Also, both aggressive ED and aggressive SLD students demonstrated a significant decrease in WJ-R Broad Math scores whereas nonaggressive students' scores showed no significant change. Furthermore, aggressive behavior was negatively related to families' social status; students from single-parent households had a significantly higher incidence of reported aggressive behaviors. No relationship between aggressive behavior and either ethnicity or gender was found.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Amphitheater Public Schools, Tucson, Arizona

    Bruce G. McHale

  2. Department of Special Education, Rehabilitation, School of Psychology, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona

    John E. Obrzut & Darrell L. Sabers

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  1. Bruce G. McHale
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  2. John E. Obrzut
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  3. Darrell L. Sabers
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McHale, B.G., Obrzut, J.E. & Sabers, D.L. Relationship of Cognitive Functioning and Aggressive Behavior with Emotionally Disabled and Specific Learning Disabled Students. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities 15, 123–140 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022823316505

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