Study credits Mom with teaching aggressiveness

Typically, we think of sons learning aggressive behaviors from their fathers, but a recent study shows mothers may contribute significantly to a child?s verbal aggression. According to 'Aggressive Communication Traits,' a recent survey published in the Western Journal of Communication, mothers serve as primary models for a child?s assertiveness and verbal aggressiveness.

Matt Martin, assistant communications studies professor at West Virginia University, and colleagues surveyed 160 college students (82 men and 78 women) and their parents. Researchers asked students and parents to judge their degree of assertiveness, argumentativeness and verbal aggressiveness. Results showed verbally aggressive or argumentative mothers tended to raise children with the same characteristics.

'Men tested the highest in all three traits,' said Martin. 'We expected sons to pattern their verbal aggression and argumentative behavior after their fathers, and daughters to pattern those same characteristics after their mothers, but we found mothers have greater influence over sons and daughters.'

Martin believes the finding can be explained by the fact that children absorb the assertive characteristics of the person they see the most: mothers.

?M. Waters