Cognitive Predictors of Relational and Social Bullying, Overt Aggression, and Interpersonal Maturity in a Late Adolescent Female Sample

Abstract

In this study, we wished to examine the potential relationships between the skills measured by an individually administered standardized measure of cognitive ability and a self-report measure of indirect bullying, overt aggression, and prosocial skills. Therefore, a sample of 106 female students were recruited from a private, faith-based university located in an urban setting in the mid-Atlantic region of the USA (US; M = 19.34 years; 84.9% White) to investigate the relationships between cognitive variables and interpersonal behavior. Multiple regression analyses revealed that participants’ performance on a Verbal Comprehension subtest significantly predicted their self-reported prosocial skills, with their Visual-Auditory Learning–Delayed skills enhancing this prediction. Additionally, in this sample, females’ Visual Matching skills were significantly predictive of overt aggression. However, despite the researchers’ hypotheses to the contrary, no cognitive skills were found to significantly predict forms of relational and social bullying. Implications of these findings for research and practice are discussed.