Word Game: An Innovative Strategy for Assessing Implicit Processes in Parents at Risk for Child Physical Abuse

• NCJ Number: 240809
• Journal: Child Abuse & Neglect Volume: 36 Issue: 6 Dated: June 2012 Pages: 498-509
• Author(s): Julie L. Crouch; Lauren M. Irwin; Brett M. Wells; Christopher R. Shelton; John J. Skowronski; Joel S. Milner
• Date Published: June 2012
• Length: 12 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study investigated whether parents at high risk for engaging in child physical abuse would exhibit higher levels of aggression and aggressive interactions and greater cognitive and behavioral reactivity compared to other participants in a laboratory designed exercise.

Abstract

The study found that parents at high risk for engaging in child physical abuse (CPA) behaved more aggressively towards other participants than parents rated at low risk for engaging in CPA. In addition, as parents at high risk for CPA continued involvement in the exercise, their ability to access positive schema decreased while negative schema became more accessible following lost rounds. This study investigated whether parents at high risk for engaging in CPA would exhibit higher levels of aggression and aggressive interactions and greater cognitive and behavioral reactivity compared to other participants in a laboratory designed exercise. Data for the study were obtained from the reactions of parents who participated in the Word Game, a "procedure designed to assess implicit changes in schema accessibility during the course of an interpersonal exchange involving aggressive response options." During the exercise, participants are led to believe that they are competing against another player with whom they exchange sound blasts of varying intensities. The participants in this study were parents who were observed as either high risk (n=20) or low risk (n=50) for engaging in CPA. The findings show that high risk CPA parents were less able to access positive schema following negative interpersonal experiences (losing a round or receiving a sound blast) compared to low risk CPA parents. The findings also show that high risk parents responded faster to negative words than low risk parents. These findings support the study's use of the Word Game as a means towards investigating the social cognitive processes involved in parental aggression. Suggestions for future research are discussed. Figures, tables, and references