Coercion Theory

Synonyms

Coercion model

Definition

Coercion Theory [1–3], developed by Gerald Patterson and colleagues at the Oregon Social Learning Center (OSLC), describes how aggressive and antisocial behaviors develop in children. Derived from extensive behavioral research on the moment-to-moment interactions in families, it specifies how ineffectual parental responses to problem behavior result in escalating aversive and aggressive behaviors in children in the short-term. It also describes how frequent repetitions of such coercive cycles result in a progressive worsening of aggressive behaviors in both variety and intensity coincident with lack of parental control over the aggression.

Description

The parent–child interactions that, over time, will result in increased likelihood of aggressive behaviors in the child while resulting in loss of parental control over aggressive behaviors, and the learning principles that explain this, are outlined by the coercion model [3]. This process starts in a...