Social Cognitive Mediators and Moderators of the Relation Between Experiences of Community Violence and Adolescent Outcomes
Year: 2008
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: This study examined moderation and mediation effects of three types of social cognitions (perceived social support, future expectations, and normative beliefs about aggression) on the relation between environmental experiences of aggression/violence and adolescent outcomes (depression and aggression).Additionally, this study sought to determine if moderation and mediation effects were varied based on the type of environmental experience of aggression/violence (victimization or witnessing) and/or on the level of severity of these experiences (low-severity or high-severity).Using a shortterm longitudinal design, 248 high school students in 9 th through 12 th grade were surveyed twice, three months apart, regarding victimization experiences, witnessing experiences, perceived social support, future expectations, normative beliefs, aggressive behavior, and depressive symptoms.Teachers completed surveys about students' aggressive behavior and depressive symptoms.A confirmatory factor analysis indicated that experiences of aggression/violence fit a four-factor model (low-severity victimization, high-severity victimization, lowseverity witnessing, and high-severity witnessing) better than two or one factor models.Contrary to previous research, perceived social support did not moderate the relation between victimization and depression, but had a protective-reactive effect on the relations between victimization and aggression and between witnessing and aggression.Future expectations moderated experiences of aggression/violence (both victimization and v
Author: Cheryl K. Sybesma
Institution: Bowling Green State University
Language: English
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funder: Strong
OpenAlex ID: W131870512