Adolescents' Implicit Theories Predict Desire for Vengeance After Peer Conflicts: Correlational and Experimental Evidence

• Published in: Developmental psychology 2011-07, Vol.47 (4), p.1090-1107
• Main Authors: Yeager, David S, Trzesniewski, Kali H, Tirri, Kirsi, Nokelainen, Petri, Dweck, Carol S
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescent Attitudes; Adolescents; Aggression; Aggression - psychology; Aggressive Behavior; Attribution Theory; Beliefs; Biological and medical sciences; Bullying; Chi-Square Distribution; Cognitive Processes; Conflict; Conflict (Psychology); Conflict Resolution; Correlation; Cross-Cultural Comparison; Desire; Developmental psychology; Emotional Regulation; Emotional Response; Emotions; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Grade 9; Hatred; Honour and shame; Human; Humans; Implicit theories; Interpersonal Relations; Male; Motivation; Peer Group; Peer groups; Peer Relations; Peer Relationship; Peer relationships; Perpetrators; Personality; Personality Traits; Prediction; Predictive Value of Tests; Psychological Theory; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Retaliation; Revenge; Role; Self Control; Shame; Social Behavior; Social Cognition; Social conflict; Social psychology; Statistics as Topic; Teenagers; Victimization; Violence
• ISSN: 0012-1649; 1939-0599
• DOI: 10.1037/a0023769

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.