TY - JOUR PY - 2011// TI - Adolescents' implicit theories predict desire for vengeance after peer conflicts: Correlational and experimental evidence JO - Developmental psychology A1 - Tirri, Kirsi A1 - Nokelainen, Petri A1 - Trzesniewski, Kali H. A1 - Yeager, David S. A1 - Dweck, Carol S. SP - 1090 EP - 1107 VL - 47 IS - 4 N2 - Why do some adolescents respond to interpersonal conflicts vengefully, whereas others seek more positive solutions? Three studies investigated the role of implicit theories of personality in predicting violent or vengeful responses to peer conflicts among adolescents in Grades 9 and 10. They showed that a greater belief that traits are fixed (an entity theory) predicted a stronger desire for revenge after a variety of recalled peer conflicts (Study 1) and after a hypothetical conflict that specifically involved bullying (Study 2). Study 3 experimentally induced a belief in the potential for change (an incremental theory), which resulted in a reduced desire to seek revenge. This effect was mediated by changes in bad-person attributions about the perpetrators, feelings of shame and hatred, and the belief that vengeful ideation is an effective emotion-regulation strategy. Together, the findings illuminate the social-cognitive processes underlying reactions to conflict and suggest potential avenues for reducing violent retaliation in adolescents. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved).

Language: en

LA - en SN - 0012-1649 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0023769 ID - ref1 ER -