Contagion of Aggression in Day Care Classrooms as a Function of Peer and Teacher Responses

What is the study about?

The scientists examined whether aggression is contagious among very young children in a low-income, urban day care setting. They looked at whether aggression by other children was more likely to occur immediately following an aggressive act than when no aggression occurred. Teachers sometimes call this a “ chain reaction.” The scientists examined classroom interactions among children and teachers to determine whether “chain reactions” exist, and how peer and teacher reactions influence such behavior.

One hundred forty-seven preschool students (72 girls, 75 boys) and 20 teachers from eight classrooms of a day care center participated. Children ranged in age from three to six years old.

What are the findings?

Aggression in these classrooms was common, averaging 3.25 acts of all types of aggression per minute per class, including aggression during play. Contagion was measured as an aggressive act falling within 15 seconds of another child’s act of aggression. For pure aggression (not including play), which averaged 2.4 acts per minute per class, the number was .51 additional acts—i.e., for every two acts, one additional act of aggression by another child would occur.

As expected, scientists found that the likelihood of contagion would vary with the types of reactions by peers and teachers to the initial act of aggression. Reinforced aggression was associated with contagion significantly more often than was aggression that was punished or that received no clear response.

Aggression directed at other people led to contagion significantly more often than did aggression that was directed at an object. Also, the study found that negative attention from peers and teachers--such as peers pushing, or grabbing back an object, or teachers yelling at the child--has reinforcing qualities that encourage aggression by other children. The scientists suggest that future research should test interventions that train teachers on recognizing contagious aggression and intervening with clear discipline; such actions might counteract the reinforcing value of peer reactions.

How do these findings relate to ACT?

One of the primary precepts of ACT is that young children learn by watching adults around them. So their parents and teachers are teaching by example every day. As children get older, they also start watching their siblings and peers to imitate their behaviors—both positive and negative. This study is one of the first to carefully document some of the complex interactions that surround an aggressive act in a day care classroom. The scientists observed that those acts of aggression that receive reinforcement by peers and teachers—either positive or negative—tend to be imitated by other children.

The ACT Project has been mindful of the reinforcing qualities of positive and negative behaviors. In the sections on Discipline and Resolving Conflict at the Child Care Center or School, the ACT Project advises teachers to avoid reinforcing negative behavior by paying too much attention to the misbehaving child. Instead, in Discipline, teachers are advised to praise positive behavior and pay attention to it. In Resolving Conflict, they are advised to help children work out their problems with their peers; and when there is conflict, it is suggested that they avoid giving too much attention to the aggressive child.

This study’s findings suggest an important new element in preventing aggression in the classroom. The findings suggests that if teachers can prevent the reinforcement of one child’s aggressive behavior, they can reduce the likelihood of spreading aggression to other children in the classroom.

For more information

This study provides evidence about the dynamics of aggression during play time in a classroom and suggests preventive actions by the teacher. A related study showed that the incidence of aggression on the playground [see Special Topics: Playground Aggression] could be controlled by the presence of trained adult volunteers to monitor playground activity. In addition to the publications and materials of the ACT Project, other resources for child care settings may be found at the National Association for the Education of Young Children at http://www.naeyc.org.