Abstract
Early life trauma may affect social behaviors later in life. Study 1 examined the association between early trauma and both relational and cyber aggression in emerging adults. While biased social information processing (SIP) has been linked with early trauma and aggression, little research has examined SIP as a mediator of this relationship. Therefore, using a cross-sectional design, Study 1 examined whether SIP potentially mediated the relationship between early trauma and peer-directed relational/cyber aggression. Study 1 also evaluated the factor structure of SIP. Participants were 295 undergraduate students, ages 18-24 years (M = 19.01, SD = 1.20; 59% female; 26% Hispanic/Latinx), who completed questionnaires assessing the aforementioned constructs. Results confirmed an "SIP biases factor." Results indicated that (1) early trauma was directly related to both aggression types, (2) the SIP biases factor was directly associated with relational aggression, and (3) SIP biases potentially mediated the early trauma-relational aggression relationship.
Study 2 further explored SIP bias and its relationship with emerging adults' peer aggression by using ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to examine this relationship at the state level. Study 2 also evaluated a short form of an SIP biases measure. Participants were 54 emerging adults, ages 18-24 years (M = 18.85 years, SD = 1.17; 72% female; 30% Hispanic/Latinx) who had participated in Study 1. Over ten days, they completed text message questionnaires assessing SIP biases and relational/cyber aggression four times per day. Results indicated that a short SIP biases measures fit the data and that SIP biases and both types of aggression were associated in momentary contexts.
These studies filled a significant gap in the literature on relational and cyber aggression in emerging adults and offer intervention targets for aggression perpetration. Future studies employing longitudinal designs and examining emerging adults from more diverse educational and financial backgrounds will be important.