Three Types of Aggressiveness and Positive and Negative Affect in Elementary School Children

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between three types of aggressiveness: reactive-expressive, reactive-inexpressive, and proactive-relational, and positive and negative affect in elementary school children. The Japanese versions of Positive and Negative Affect Schedule for Children (PANAS-C) and Proactive-Reactive Aggression Questionnaire for Children (PRAQ-C) were administered to 718 children of fourth through sixth grades. Results revealed that, compared with non-aggressive children, inexpressively aggressive children showed higher Negative Affect. No such relationship was found for those of the other aggressiveness types. This finding was consistent with previous ones, underscoring the problematic characteristics of inexpressive aggressiveness. The possibility that Negative Affect could be used for screening children with future depression symptoms is also discussed.View full abstract