A1 Journal article (refereed)
Higher aggression is related to poorer academic performance in compulsory education (2021)
Vuoksimaa, E., Rose, R. J., Pulkkinen, L., Palviainen, T., Rimfeld, K., Lundström, S., Bartels, M., van Beijsterveldt, C., Hendriks, A., de Zeeuw, E. L., Plomin, R., Lichtenstein, P., Boomsma, D. I., & Kaprio, J. (2021). Higher aggression is related to poorer academic performance in compulsory education. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 62(3), 327-338. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.13273
JYU authors or editors
Publication details
All authors or editors: Vuoksimaa, Eero; Rose, Richard J.; Pulkkinen, Lea; Palviainen, Teemu; Rimfeld, Kaili; Lundström, Sebastian; Bartels, Meike; van Beijsterveldt, Catharina; Hendriks, Anne; de Zeeuw, Eveline L.; et al.
Journal or series: Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry
ISSN: 0021-9630
eISSN: 1469-7610
Publication year: 2021
Volume: 62
Issue number: 3
Pages range: 327-338
Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
Publication country: United Kingdom
Publication language: English
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.13273
Publication open access: Openly available
Publication channel open access: Partially open access channel
Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/69712
Abstract
To conduct a comprehensive assessment of the association between aggression and academic performance in compulsory education.
Method
We studied aggression and academic performance in over 27,000 individuals from four European twin cohorts participating in the ACTION consortium (Aggression in Children: Unraveling gene‐environment interplay to inform Treatment and InterventiON strategies). Individual level data on aggression at ages 7–16 were assessed by three instruments (Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment, Multidimensional Peer Nomination Inventory, Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire) including parental, teacher and self‐reports. Academic performance was measured with teacher‐rated grade point averages (ages 12–14) or standardized test scores (ages 12–16). Random effect meta‐analytical correlations with academic performance were estimated for parental ratings (in all four cohorts) and self‐ratings (in three cohorts).
Results
All between‐family analyses indicated significant negative aggression–academic performance associations with correlations ranging from −.06 to −.33. Results were similar across different ages, instruments and raters and either with teacher‐rated grade point averages or standardized test scores as measures of academic performance. Meta‐analytical r ’s were −.20 and −.23 for parental and self‐ratings, respectively. In within‐family analyses of all twin pairs, the negative aggression–academic performance associations were statistically significant in 14 out of 17 analyses (r = −.17 for parental‐ and r = −.16 for self‐ratings). Separate analyses in monozygotic (r = −.07 for parental and self‐ratings), same‐sex dizygotic (r ’s = −.16 and −.17 for parental and self‐ratings) and opposite‐sex dizygotic (r ’s = −.21 and −.19 for parental and self‐ratings) twin pairs suggested partial confounding by genetic effects.
Conclusions
There is a robust negative association between aggression and academic performance in compulsory education. Part of these associations were explained by shared genetic effects, but some evidence of a negative association between aggression and academic performance remained even in within‐family analyses of monozygotic twin pairs.
Keywords: children (age groups); young people; cognitive development; aggressiveness; study performance
Free keywords: aggression; cognition; development; educational attainment; school performance
Contributing organizations
Ministry reporting: Yes
Reporting Year: 2021
JUFO rating: 3