1. Annotated Bibliography 2
This paper presents a study showing the different relationships between cortisol and
the Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal Axis (HPA-axis) in proactive and reactively
aggressive children. Reactive means the person responds out of excessive fear,
whereas proactive refers to responses that are more premeditated and calculated. The
study involved a group of 73 children ages 6 to 7. They were known for being
aggressive in their preschool or daycare center, and showed common behaviors when
acting aggressively. The children would go through different phases in the experiment.
They were exposed to different levels of stress, and samples of saliva were taken to
measure the cortisol levels. Children in the experimental group were exposed
individually to stressful tasks of fear or frustration, while children in the control group
were given an hour to watch television. The results showed that low levels of cortisol
were associated with more aggressive behavior in the children. Proactive aggressive
children had a lower relation with the HPA-axis than the reactive aggressive children,
which would mean that their aggressiveness would be an impulse or a response, rather
than premeditated.
This study is an aid understanding aggressive responses in young children to different,
stressful situations. Also it will help in the treatment of overly-aggressive children.