Recalling unpresented hostile words: false memories predictors of traditional and cyberbullying

Vannucci, Manila; Nocentini, Annalaura; Mazzoni, Giuliana; Menesini, Ersilia

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between hostile false memories (violent and verbal/aggressive) and engagement in traditional and cyberbullying, controlling for their co-occurrence. Two hundred eleven adolescents completed measures of traditional and cyberbullying and performed a modified version of the “DRM paradigm”, a false memory task for lists of associated words. Five lists were used: one of ambiguously violent words, oneof insults and three lists of neutral words used as controls. For each list a free recall task was performed. A path analysis showed that both violent false memories for ambiguously hostile words and verbal/aggressive false memories for insults were positively associated with cyberbullying and, in males, also with traditional bullying. These data indicate a contribution of hostile memory distortions to bullying behaviours in adolescents. Findings are discussed according to the general aggression model.

Citation

Vannucci, M., Nocentini, A., Mazzoni, G., & Menesini, E. (2012). Recalling unpresented hostile words: false memories predictors of traditional and cyberbullying. European journal of developmental psychology, 9(2), 182-194. https://doi.org/10.1080/17405629.2011.646459

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Dec 31, 2012
• Online Publication Date: Mar 7, 2012
• Publication Date: 2012-03
• Journal: EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY
• Print ISSN: 1740-5629
• Publisher: Routledge
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 9
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 182-194
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17405629.2011.646459
• Keywords: False memories; Bullying; Cyberbullying; Aggression
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/417578