Impulse control and aggressive response generation as predictors of aggressive behaviour in children with mild intellectual disabilities and borderline intelligence.
BACKGROUND
A growing interest exists in mechanisms involved in behaviour problems in children with mild intellectual disabilities and borderline intelligence (MID/BI). Social problem solving difficulties have been found to be an explanatory mechanism for aggressive behaviour in these children. However, recently a discrepancy was found between automatic and reflective responding in social situations. We hypothesise that low impulse control and aggressive social problem solving strategies together may explain mechanisms involved in aggressive behaviour by children with MID/BI.


METHODS
In a clinical sample of 130 children with MID/BI receiving intramural treatment, main, moderating and mediating effects of impulse control and aggressive response generation on aggressive behaviour were examined by conducting hierarchical linear multiple regression analyses.


RESULTS
Independent main effects of both impulse control and aggressive response generation on aggressive behaviour were found. Results indicated that low impulse control and aggressive response generation each explain unique variance in aggressive behaviour.


CONCLUSIONS
As this study is the first that has shown both impulse control and aggressive response generation to be important predictors for aggressive behaviour in children with MID/BI, future research should further examine the nature of relations between low impulse control and social problem solving.
van Nieuwenhuijzen
M
M
Department of Developmental Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands. m.vannieuwenhuijzen@uu.nl
Orobio de Castro
B
B
van Aken
M A G
MA
Matthys
W
W
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D007174:Disruptive, Impulse Control, and Conduct Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D004495:Education of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D007360:Intelligence; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands; D011340:Problem Solving; D012920:Social Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D012931:Social Environment