Copyright Malvin Porter, Jr. 2010 - acumen - The University of ...

ability. The lack of variance in teacher-reports of children’s intellectual ability may explain the
non-significant relations between this variable and CBVS Action Choices and CBVS Justification
Choices. This measure was intended to serve as a proxy measure for children’s intellectual
ability and as a statistical control in subsequent data analyses. This analytic strategy is supported
by previous findings that children’s social information processing skills, which include self-
regulating emotions, developing social problem-solving strategies, and generating prosocial and
aggressive responses, are determined at least in part by intelligence; specifically, that children of
lower intelligence are more likely to be physically aggressive with peers than children of higher
intelligence (Dodge, 1986).
Bully/Victim Group Membership
This study found that neither CBVS Action Choices nor Justification Choices varied
across participant children’s teacher reported Bully/Victim Group Membership. In support of this
strategy, many studies cite the prevalence of negative psychosocial and behavioral effects
resulting from victimization on bully/victim group members (Flashpohler et al., 2009; Huitsing
et al., 2007; Olweus, 1993; Veenstra et al., 2005). As with children’s Intellectual Ability, it was
hoped that children’s Bully/Victim Group Membership would serve as another statistical control
in subsequent data analyses. One explanation for the invariance of Bully/Victim Group
Membership across CBVS Action Choices and Justification Choices may be that in this study
there were insufficient numbers in each group, particularly in the Bully/Victim group, to account
for a significant group effect.
Indirect Assessments Versus Direct Assessments
One of the issues of this study involves the validity and reliability of comparing indirect
teacher-reports of children’s social competencies, such as CBS prosocial and aggressive behavior
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