Abstract
This investigation concerned the normative development of social information processing (SIP) during the process of puberty. Japanese students (N = 699) from 5th to 11th grades responded to hypothetical vignettes based on SIP assessments. Hostile attributions and aggressive responses decreased between grades 5 and 11, while evoked negative emotions peaked in grade 7. Cluster analysis revealed that 4 groups were identified in terms of combination of attributions, evoked emotions, and response behaviors. As for students above grade 7, the group that displayed hostile attributions, negative emotions, and aggressive responses scored significantly lower on satisfaction than did the other groups, but there was no group difference in satisfaction with school. The results indicate that early adolescents tend to have more negative emotions toward a target person than other age groups when they suffer mild harm, even if they understand intellectually that the target person could be blameless. In addition, the data suggest that negatively distorted SIP could be related to undesirable family interactions rather than to school life.
