Material Detail

To increase our understanding of parental cognitions associated with physical child abuse, a social information processing model is described. Extant human information processing paradigms are used to guide the development of an organizational model which describes parental cognitive activities believed to mediate verbal and physical aggression against children. As part of the proposed model, automatic and controlled processing are used to describe how cognitions may be related. Following specification of the model, a critical review of the supporting literature is provided. Next is a description of possible relationships between personality factors and social information processing activities. Throughout the discussion, model limitations and suggestions for model testing are presented. The article concludes with a brief description of model implications for assessment and treatment of parents who physically abuse their children.