Effects of fantasy behavior, level of fantasy predisposition, age, and sex on direction of aggression in young children.
The effect of fantasy behavior, fantasy predisposition, age, and sex upon direction of aggression in children was assessed in 57 kindergarten boys and girls. Ss from low to high levels of assessed fantasy predisposition were randomly designated as experimental or control. All Ss were exposed to an imposed frustrating condition. The experimental group was then exposed to a condition designed to elicit spontaneous fantasy behavior; the control group was exposed to a condition designed to be incompatible with fantasy. All Ss were then assessed for direction of aggression. Children who engaged in fantasy behavior following frustration were significantly more extrapunitive than control Ss (p less than .05); the findings did not support either the premise that fantasy results in drive-reduction or that fantasy results in the turning inward upon the self of hostile drive manifested by increased intropunitiveness. Age was found to be significantly but negatively correlated with extrapunitiveness (p less than .05).
D000367:Age Factors; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005201:Fantasy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012737:Sex Factors