CoChat
Sign Up
Cited by 140Bullying, Victimization, and AggressionChild and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional DevelopmentCrime Patterns and Interventions

Social-information-processing patterns mediate the impact of preventive intervention on adolescent antisocial behavior

Open access
Dodge, Kenneth A., Godwin, Jennifer, The Conduct Problems Prevention Research Group·2013·Psychological Science
DOI 10.1177/0956797612457394PMC PMC3726052
Open this paper in CoChat — free account

Abstract

In the study reported here, we tested the hypothesis that the Fast Track preventive intervention's positive impact on antisocial behavior in adolescence is mediated by its impact on social-cognitive processes during elementary school. Fast Track is the largest and longest federally funded preventive intervention trial for children showing aggressive behavior at an early age. Participants were 891 high-risk kindergarten children (69% male, 31% female; 49% ethnic minority, 51% ethnic majority) who were randomly assigned to an intervention or a control group by school cluster. Multiyear intervention addressed social-cognitive processes through social-skill training groups, parent groups, classroom curricula, peer coaching, and tutoring. Assigning children to the intervention decreased their mean antisocial-behavior score after Grade 9 by 0.16 standardized units (p < .01). Structural equation models indicated that 27% of the intervention's impact on antisocial behavior was mediated by its impact on three social-cognitive processes: reducing hostile-attribution biases, increasing competent response generation to social problems, and devaluing aggression. These findings support a model of antisocial behavioral development mediated by social-cognitive processes, and they guide prevention planners to focus on these processes.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1177/0956797612457394

Cites

56 of 56 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Nothing to recompute.

Claims the paper makes

2 of 22 cited sources checked · 0 supported · 0 flagged · accuracy not yet measured

  • Findingown data

    The intervention's effect on antisocial behavior was significantly mediated by its effect on competent response generation measured after Grade 1 (p < .05; coefficient = −0.02, 95% bias-adjusted CI = [−0.06, −0.003]), with 14% of the total effect mediated.

    “Second, the impact of intervention on children’s competent response generation measured after Grade 1 significantly mediated the intervention’s impact on antisocial behavior (p < .05; coefficient = −0.02, 95% bias-adjusted CI = [−0.06, −0.003]), with 14% of intervention’s impact on antisocial behavior mediated by improvements in response generation.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
    • The authors state this as an assumption: Outside interventions occurred at the same rate in the intervention and control groups.
    • The authors state this as an assumption: Missing data were missing at random.
    • Rests on an assumption: No unmeasured third variable accounts for the observed mediation effects.
    • Rests on an assumption: Alternate mechanisms such as placebo or environmental scaffolding do not account for the intervention's effect on antisocial behavior.
  • Findingown data

    The intervention's effect on antisocial behavior was marginally mediated by its effect on aggressive response evaluation in Grades 4 and 5 (p < .10; indirect effect = −0.02, 90% bias-adjusted CI = [−0.04, −0.001]), with 9% of the total effect mediated.

    “Finally, the impact of intervention on aggressive response evaluation in Grades 4 and 5 marginally mediated the intervention’s impact on antisocial behavior (p < .10; indirect effect = −0.02, with 90% bias-adjusted CI = [−0.04, −0.001]), with 9% of intervention’s impact on antisocial behavior mediated by response evaluation.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
    • The authors state this as an assumption: Outside interventions occurred at the same rate in the intervention and control groups.
    • The authors state this as an assumption: Missing data were missing at random.
    • Rests on an assumption: No unmeasured third variable accounts for the observed mediation effects.
    • Rests on an assumption: Alternate mechanisms such as placebo or environmental scaffolding do not account for the intervention's effect on antisocial behavior.
  • Findingown data

    Aggressive response generation measured after Grades 1 through 5 significantly predicted antisocial behavior after Grade 9.

    “Five of the seven tests yielded significant coefficients, with antisocial behavior after Grade 9 being significantly predicted from hostile-attribution biases, retribution goals, competent and aggressive response generation, and aggressive response evaluation after Grades 1 through 5.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
    • The authors state this as an assumption: Missing data were missing at random.
  • Findingown data

    Retribution goals measured after Grades 1 through 5 significantly predicted antisocial behavior after Grade 9.

    “Five of the seven tests yielded significant coefficients, with antisocial behavior after Grade 9 being significantly predicted from hostile-attribution biases, retribution goals, competent and aggressive response generation, and aggressive response evaluation after Grades 1 through 5.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
    • The authors state this as an assumption: Missing data were missing at random.
  • Findingown data

    Aggressive response evaluation measured after Grades 1 through 5 significantly predicted antisocial behavior after Grade 9.

    “Five of the seven tests yielded significant coefficients, with antisocial behavior after Grade 9 being significantly predicted from hostile-attribution biases, retribution goals, competent and aggressive response generation, and aggressive response evaluation after Grades 1 through 5.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
    • The authors state this as an assumption: Missing data were missing at random.
  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. 11
  • May combine two claims. 17
  • The quote only partly states this claim. 5

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    Raver et al. found that self-regulation skills mediated the impact of intervention on preschoolers' kindergarten outcomes.

    “Raver et al. (2011) found that self-regulation skills mediated the impact of intervention on preschoolers’ kindergarten outcomes.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim1 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Raver et al. (2011) source

      The Results section reports that attention/impulse control and executive functioning mediated the intervention’s effects on preschoolers’ preacademic outcomes; effortful control did not. The Hypotheses and Results of Direct Treatment Effects sections place those outcomes in the spring of the children’s Head Start year, not in kindergarten. Page numbers are unavailable in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.89)

      Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    Wilson and Lipsey's meta-analysis found a mean intervention effect size of .21 for school-based cognitive-behavioral programs on aggressive and disruptive behavior.

    “Wilson and Lipsey’s (2007) meta-analysis yielded a mean intervention effect size of .21 for school-based cognitive-behavioral programs on aggressive and disruptive behavior.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim1 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Wilson and Lipsey’s (2007) source

      The Results report a mean effect size of 0.21 for aggressive/disruptive behavior, including among universal school-based programs. But that figure covers multiple treatment modalities; the paper does not identify it as the mean specifically for cognitive-behavioral programs. Page numbers were not available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.90)

      Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    The intervention improved children's accurate recognition of emotions after first grade, but this process did not significantly predict antisocial behavior after ninth grade.

    “First, although intervention had a positive impact on children’s accurate recognition of emotions after first grade, this process did not significantly predict antisocial behavior after ninth grade.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
    • The authors state this as an assumption: Missing data were missing at random.

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    The intervention group had a lower proportion of members with high antisocial-behavior scores and a higher proportion with low scores compared to the control group.

    “Inspection of histograms of scores by groups indicated that the intervention group had a lower proportion of members with scores at the high end of the scale (item means > .3; .152 of the control group and .109 of the intervention group) and a higher proportion of members with scores at the low end of the scale (item means < .1; .614 of the control group and .686 of the intervention group).”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
    • The authors state this as an assumption: Missing data were missing at random.

  • The quote only partly states this claim.

    Findingown data

    The intervention reduced children's hostile-attribution biases.

    “Intervention was associated with higher emotion-recognition skills, lower hostile-attribution biases, more competent response generation, and response evaluation that devalued aggression.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
    • The authors state this as an assumption: Missing data were missing at random.

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    Setting of retribution goals predicted adolescent antisocial behavior, but the intervention did not significantly affect this process.

    “Second, although setting of retribution goals predicted adolescent antisocial behavior (thus supporting this process in antisocial development), intervention did not have a significant impact on this process.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
    • The authors state this as an assumption: Missing data were missing at random.

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    Mediation was not supported for accurate encoding of cues or setting of retribution goals.

    “Two social-cognitive processes (accurate encoding of cues and setting of retribution goals) were also hypothesized to be mediators, but the evidence did not support mediation.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
    • The authors state this as an assumption: Missing data were missing at random.

  • The quote only partly states this claim.

    Findingown data

    The intervention increased children's emotion-recognition skills.

    “Intervention was associated with higher emotion-recognition skills, lower hostile-attribution biases, more competent response generation, and response evaluation that devalued aggression.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
    • The authors state this as an assumption: Missing data were missing at random.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Findingown data

    Each of the four parcels of items contributed significant variance to the antisocial-behavior construct.

    “Each of the four parcels of items contributed significant variance to the antisocial-behavior construct.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
    • The authors state this as an assumption: Missing data were missing at random.

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    The intervention's effect on antisocial behavior in Grade 9 was significantly mediated by its effect on hostile-attribution bias in Grades 4 and 5 (p < .05; standardized coefficient = −0.02, 95% bias-adjusted CI = [−0.07, −0.001]), with 13% of the total effect mediated.

    “First, intervention’s impact on antisocial behavior in Grade 9 was significantly mediated by intervention’s impact on hostile-attribution bias in Grades 4 and 5 (p < .05; standardized coefficient = −0.02, 95% bias-adjusted CI = [−0.07, −0.001]), and 13% of intervention’s impact on antisocial behavior was mediated by improvement in attribution biases.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
    • The authors state this as an assumption: Outside interventions occurred at the same rate in the intervention and control groups.
    • The authors state this as an assumption: Missing data were missing at random.
    • Rests on an assumption: No unmeasured third variable accounts for the observed mediation effects.
    • Rests on an assumption: Alternate mechanisms such as placebo or environmental scaffolding do not account for the intervention's effect on antisocial behavior.

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    The findings are equivocal about the incremental roles of multiple social-cognitive processes; the significance tests for unique increments did not meet standard criteria (ps = .17, .07, and .12 for hostile-attribution bias, competent response generation, and aggressive response evaluation, respectively).

    “Although each of the three processes increased the proportion of variance accounted for in the long-term impact of intervention, the significance levels that tested unique increments did not meet standard criteria (ps = .17, 07, and .12, for hostile-attribution bias, competent response generation, and aggressive response evaluation, respectively).”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
    • The authors state this as an assumption: Missing data were missing at random.

  • The quote only partly states this claim.

    Findingown data

    The intervention increased children's evaluation of aggression as devalued.

    “Intervention was associated with higher emotion-recognition skills, lower hostile-attribution biases, more competent response generation, and response evaluation that devalued aggression.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
    • The authors state this as an assumption: Missing data were missing at random.

  • The quote only partly states this claim.

    Findingown data

    The intervention increased children's competent response generation.

    “Intervention was associated with higher emotion-recognition skills, lower hostile-attribution biases, more competent response generation, and response evaluation that devalued aggression.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
    • The authors state this as an assumption: Missing data were missing at random.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Study design and conductown data

    Hostile-attribution bias and retribution goal measures were not included earlier in the study because of unreliability.

    “These measures were not included earlier in the study because of unreliability.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Study design and conductcitation

    Intervention participation was high in Grade 1: 96% of parents and 98% of children attended at least one session, and 79% of parents and 90% of children attended at least 50% of sessions.

    “Intervention participation was defined as attendance at one or more group sessions—96% of parents and 98% of children participated during Grade 1. Of these families, 79% of parents and 90% of children attended at least 50% of all Grade 1 sessions (CPPRG, 2002a).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites CPPRG, 2002a

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Study design and conductreasoning

    Standard errors were clustered by kindergarten school to account for the initial randomization process.

    “Controlling for race, gender, cohort, site, and initial kindergarten risk score, we estimated the impact of random assignment to the intervention condition on the antisocial-behavior construct using a multigroup measurement-invariant structural equation model with standard errors clustered by kindergarten school to account for the initial randomization process.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Longitudinal research indicates that children form stable patterns of social-information processing at each step, and these patterns forecast increases in antisocial behavior over development after controlling for earlier behavior.

    “Prospective studies show that children develop stable patterns of processing social information at each of these steps, and these patterns predict growth in antisocial behavior across development, even when previous behavior is controlled (Dodge, Pettit, Bates, & Valente, 1995).”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Dodge, Pettit, Bates, & Valente, 1995 source

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationown data

    The findings held for the entire sample but might not hold within each subgroup.

    “We did not have sufficient statistical power to test mediation separately for each of many subgroups, and although the findings held for the entire sample, they might not hold within each group.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    Cunha and Heckman found that noncognitive traits, but not academic skills, accounted for the Perry Preschool Project's positive impact on adult outcomes.

    “Cunha and Heckman (2010) found that what they termed “noncognitive traits” (but not academic skills) accounted for the Perry Preschool Project’s positive impact on adult outcomes.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Cunha and Heckman (2010)

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Not all Fast Track analyses yielded significant effects; no effects were found in Grades 7 and 8, and some analyses yielded significant effects only for the highest-risk subgroup.

    “Not all analyses yielded significant effects (e.g., no effects were found in Grades 7 and 8; CPPRG, 2010), and some analyses yielded significant effects only for the highest-risk subgroup (e.g., CPPRG, 2011).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites CPPRG, 2010

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

    • cites CPPRG, 2011

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    The Self-Reported Delinquency instrument has high reliability and validity for documenting antisocial acts.

    “This instrument documents, with high reliability and validity (Huizinga & Elliott, 1986), the number of times each of 25 acts, such as property damage, theft, assault, and substance use, was committed in the past year.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Huizinga & Elliott, 1986 source

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). The quote only partly states this claim.

    Study design and conductown data

    The social-cognitive and antisocial behavior measures had internal consistency reliabilities ranging from .60 to .87.

    “The coefficient alpha based on items used to create parcels for structural equation modeling was .60.”
    • Also stated in: § Measures · plain
      “The subscales were used to create a latent construct for adolescent antisocial behavior (α = .87).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Study design and conductown data

    Emotion-recognition skill was not measured in later years because of ceiling effects.

    “Emotion-recognition skill was not measured in later years because of ceiling effects.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Study design and conductnone given

    Nonparticipation increased modestly across years, primarily because of residential moves.

    “Nonparticipation increased modestly across years, primarily because of residential moves.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Study design and conductreasoning

    Participants were randomly assigned to intervention or control by school cluster.

    “within each pair, one set was randomly assigned to an intervention condition and the other set to a control condition.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    CPPRG (2002b) found that the effect of intervention on five targeted variables measured in Grade 3 significantly mediated the effect on aggressive behavior in Grade 4 and marginally mediated the effect on association with deviant peers in Grade 4.

    “The group found that the effect of intervention on these variables as measured in Grade 3 significantly mediated the effect of intervention on aggressive behavior as measured in Grade 4 and marginally mediated the effect of intervention on association with deviant peers as measured in Grade 4.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites CPPRG, 2002b

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationown data

    The empirical findings support the roles of making benign attributions about others' intentions, generating competent responses to social challenges, and evaluating aggression outcomes as unfavorable.

    “The empirical findings support the roles of core processes of making benign (rather than hostile) attributions about other people’s intentions, generating competent responses to social challenges, and evaluating the outcomes of aggressing ahead of time as unfavorable.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
    • The authors state this as an assumption: Outside interventions occurred at the same rate in the intervention and control groups.
    • Rests on an assumption: No unmeasured third variable accounts for the observed mediation effects.
    • Rests on an assumption: Alternate mechanisms such as placebo or environmental scaffolding do not account for the intervention's effect on antisocial behavior.

  • May combine two claims.

    Study design and conductnone given

    Fidelity was supported through manuals for every component, regular cross-site training and communication, weekly staff training, and continuous clinical supervision.

    “Intervention fidelity was ensured by manualization of all components, regular cross-site training and communication, weekly staff training, and ongoing clinical supervision.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Prior analyses of intervention's impact on social-cognitive processes found significant effects after Grade 1 on emotion recognition, competent response generation, and endorsement of retaliation; after Grade 3 on hostile-attribution biases and competent response generation (both p < .06); and after Grades 4 and 5 on a composite of hostile-attribution biases, retribution goals, response generation

    “Analyses of intervention’s impact on social-cognitive processes yielded significant effects after Grade 1 on emotion recognition, competent response generation, and endorsement of retaliation (CPPRG, 1999); after Grade 3 on hostile-attribution biases (p < .06) and competent response generation (p < .06; CPPRG, 2002b); and after Grades 4 and 5 on a composite of hostile-attribution biases, ret”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 3 sources checked
    • cites CPPRG, 1999

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

    • cites CPPRG, 2002b

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

    • cites CPPRG, 2004

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Study design and conductown data

    Analyses controlled for race, gender, cohort, site, and initial kindergarten risk score.

    “Controlling for race, gender, cohort, site, and initial kindergarten risk score, we estimated the impact of random assignment to the intervention condition on the antisocial-behavior construct using a multigroup measurement-invariant structural equation model with standard errors clustered by kindergarten school to account for the initial randomization process.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
30 of 30

  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    Outside interventions occurred at the same rate in the intervention and control groups.

    “Outside interventions were neither encouraged nor discouraged and were assumed to occur at the same rate for participants in intervention and control groups.”

  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    Missing data were missing at random.

    “Full-information maximum-likelihood estimation accounted for missing data under the assumption that data were missing at random.”

  • The paper relies on this without support.

    No unmeasured third variable accounts for the observed mediation effects.

    “It is plausible that an unmeasured third variable would account for both intervention impacts.”

  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Alternate mechanisms such as placebo or environmental scaffolding do not account for the intervention's effect on antisocial behavior.

    “It is plausible that intervention effects are mediated through alternate mechanisms, such as placebo, academic gains, or environmental scaffolding of opportunity.”
4 of 4

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

Each contradiction between two passages listed here was confirmed by an independent check.

  • Conflicting ethnic composition of the sample

    Minor

    The abstract says 49% of participants were ethnic minorities, but the participant breakdown identifies 51% as African American alone. The two descriptions cannot both represent the same sample using the paper's minority classification.

1 of 1

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

2 of the 58 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Related

Authors
Dodge, K. A., Godwin, J., & The Conduct Problems Prevention Research Group
Affiliations
Duke University (US)
ORCID
Venue
Psychological Science
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Published
2013-02-13
Volume
24
Issue
4
Pages
456-465
ISSN
  • 0956-7976 (ISSN-L)
  • 1467-9280
DOI
10.1177/0956797612457394
PMC
PMC3726052
OpenAlex
W2140550069
Cited by
140
References
58
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 19 · 2015: 18 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 1
FWCI
21.96
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license (tdm)
Locations
  • Psychological Science (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Research Explorer (The University of Manchester) (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institute of Mental Health (R18MH050951, R01MH048043, K05MH000797, R18MH048043, R18MH050953, K05MH001027, R18MH050952)
  • National Institute on Drug Abuse (DA016903, R01DA016903, P30DA023026, K05DA015226)
  • Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (P2CHD065563, R24HD065563)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Bullying, Victimization, and Aggression
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Crime Patterns and Interventions
Keywords
antisocial behavior, adolescents, social information processing, socio-cognitive processes, hostile attribution bias, social problem solving, aggression prevention, elementary school students, mediation, social skills training, parent training
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Adolescent Behavior, Aggression, Child, Child Health Services, Female, Humans, Juvenile Delinquency, Male, Social Behavior, Social Behavior Disorders, Social Perception, Conduct Disorder, Adolescent Development

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Claims read by deepseek-v4.1-flash under definition version 3 (extract-v3) on 2026-09-28.

Classified by jev-1.13-20260917 (gold-guideline-v0.2) on 2026-09-28.

Cited sources are checked by gpt-6-sol.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review