A cross-cultural examination of preschool teacher cognitions and responses to child aggression

Abstract

The associations among preschool teachers’ attributions about child responsibility, intentionality, knowledge, and the seriousness of hypothetical displays of children’s aggressive behavior are examined in United States ( N = 82) and Vietnamese ( N = 91) preschool teachers. The results suggest cross-cultural differences as well as similarities in the relations among preschool teachers’ cognitions, affect, and disapproval of physical aggression. Teachers’ perceptions of the seriousness of and their negative affective responses to aggression, but not their beliefs about intent, predict teacher disapproval for both Vietnamese and US samples. Cross-cultural comparisons indicate in general US teachers express more negative attributions about, and Vietnamese teachers endorse more disapproval of, child aggression. Although the overall cognitive model is consistent across cultures, cross-cultural differences are found on teacher perception and responses to child aggression. It is important to consider such group differences in light of considerations to employ Western educational models or psychological interventions with individuals in non-Western countries.