SOCIAL INFORMATION PROCESSING IN PARENT-CHILD CONFLICT AND AGGRESSION AMONG ADOLESCENT: MEDIATING ROLE OF PEER REJECTION AND SELF CONCEPT

Abstract

This study examined the connections between social information processing and teenage peer rejection, violence, parent-child conflict, and self-concept. Data were gathered from 200 teenagers (100 males and 100 females) in Rawalpindi and Islamabad schools and colleges between the ages of 13 and 19 using a cross-sectional design. Reactive-proactive aggressiveness, peer rejection, self-concept, and social information processing were all evaluated using standardized tests. Results indicated that social information processing in parent-child conflict was negatively correlated with self-concept and positively correlated with violence and peer rejection. While peer rejection and self-concept modulated the relationship between social information processing and aggression, it was a significant predictor of aggression. There were gender differences: women scored higher on self-concept, while men scored higher on social information processing, peer rejection, and violence. Additionally, institutional differences were discovered: students from private institutions displayed higher levels of hostility, whereas those from government institutions reported better levels of self concept. Age groups, income categories, and school/college levels did not show any discernible variations. The findings highlight how peer dynamics, parent-child conflict, and self-concept contribute to teenage aggressiveness, providing insightful information for educators, parents, and other stakeholders in education.