(PS6-14) Gender and the Role of CU Traits, Frustration, and Inhibitory Control in Provoked and Unprovoked Aggression in Early Childhood

Research often assumes that physical aggression in toddlerhood arises from an inability to regulate frustration after a triggering event (Alink et al., 2006; Hay, 2017). However, recent research differentiates provoked from unprovoked aggression, such that physical aggression can occur in response to or in the absence of an external trigger (Dahl, 2016; Peets & Del Vecchio, 2023). Because these displays of aggression in toddlerhood may implicate different etiological factors, such as self-regulatory abilities or empathy, it is important to understand the unique correlates that develop at this age. In this study, we examined self-regulatory abilities (as measured by inhibitory control and frustration) and CU traits (high callousness and uncaring, low empathy). We hypothesized that frustration and low inhibitory control would be more strongly associated with provoked than unprovoked aggression, with the reverse being true for CU traits. Moreover, we expected that the link between CU traits and provoked and unprovoked aggression would depend on self-regulatory abilities. Finally, we examined whether gender would further moderate any of the hypothesized associations. Participants were two hundred and sixty-one mothers of children aged 30-36 months (Mage = 33.08 months, SD = 1.81; 56.32% female) who completed measures of their child’s provoked and unprovoked aggression, frustration, inhibitory control, and CU traits. 

We examined correlations and conducted a series of hierarchical regression analyses. In each analysis, gender, one of the CU traits (callousness, uncaring, empathy), and one of the moderators (frustration, inhibition) were included as covariates. Consistent with prior work, we found that girls displayed less unprovoked aggression than boys. We found no such gender difference for provoked aggression. As expected, correlations revealed that frustration was more strongly associated with provoked than unprovoked aggression. None of the two-way interactions with gender were significant. However, the association between empathy and aggression was further dependent on inhibitory control (or frustration) and gender. For provoked and unprovoked aggression, inhibitory control moderated the effect of empathy for girls (b = 0.32, p=.002; b=0.23, p = 0.003). Among girls with low empathy, inhibitory control made a considerable difference in terms of how aggressive they were—girls with low-empathy and high inhibitory control were considerably less aggressive than girls with low-empathy and low inhibitory control. For unprovoked aggression, another significant 3-way interaction emerged. Frustration moderated the effect of empathy on unprovoked aggression among boys. Boys with high frustration and high empathy were more aggressive than boys with low frustration and high empathy. 

These results suggest that empathy, inhibitory control, and their interaction may be particularly important in decreasing provoked and unprovoked aggression in girls but not boys.  The results extend the previous literature by exploring specific correlates of provoked and unprovoked aggression and their interaction with child gender, which may help to inform interventions for aggressive behaviors.