Testosterone reactivity to provocation mediates the effect of early intervention on aggressive behavior.

TitleTestosterone reactivity to provocation mediates the effect of early intervention on aggressive behavior.
Publication TypeJournal Article
AuthorsCarré, Justin M., Anne-Marie R. Iselin, Keith M. Welker, Ahmad R. Hariri, and Kenneth A. Dodge
PubMed ID24681586
PubMed Central IDPMC4278576
Grant ListK05 DA015226 / DA / NIDA NIH HHS / United States
K05DA15226 / DA / NIDA NIH HHS / United States
P30 DA023026 / DA / NIDA NIH HHS / United States
P30DA023026 / DA / NIDA NIH HHS / United States
R01 DA016903 / DA / NIDA NIH HHS / United States
R01 DA031579 / DA / NIDA NIH HHS / United States
R01 DA033369 / DA / NIDA NIH HHS / United States
R01DA016903 / DA / NIDA NIH HHS / United States
R01DA031579 / DA / NIDA NIH HHS / United States
R01DA033369 / DA / NIDA NIH HHS / United States

We tested the hypotheses that the Fast Track intervention program for high-risk children would reduce adult aggressive behavior and that this effect would be mediated by decreased testosterone responses to social provocation. Participants were a subsample of males from the full trial sample, who during kindergarten had been randomly assigned to the 10-year Fast Track intervention or to a control group. The Fast Track program attempted to develop children’s social competencies through child social-cognitive and emotional-coping skills training, peer-relations coaching, academic tutoring, and classroom management, as well as training for parents to manage their child’s behavior. At a mean age of 26 years, participants responded to laboratory provocations. Results indicated that, relative to control participants, men assigned to the intervention demonstrated reduced aggression and testosterone reactivity to social provocations. Moreover, reduced testosterone reactivity mediated the effect of intervention on aggressive behavior, which provides evidence for an enduring biological mechanism underlying the effect of early psychosocial intervention on aggressive behavior in adulthood.

Title Testosterone reactivity to provocation mediates the effect of early intervention on aggressive behavior.
Publication Title Psychol Sci
Publication Type Journal Article
Published Year 2014
Authors J.M. Carré; A.M.R. Iselin; K.M. Welker; A.R. Hariri; K.A. Dodge
ISSN Number 1467-9280
PubMed ID 24681586
PubMed Central ID PMC4278576
Grant List
K05 DA015226 DA NIDA NIH HHS United States
K05DA15226 DA NIDA NIH HHS United States
P30 DA023026 DA NIDA NIH HHS United States
P30DA023026 DA NIDA NIH HHS United States
R01 DA016903 DA NIDA NIH HHS United States
R01 DA031579 DA NIDA NIH HHS United States
R01 DA033369 DA NIDA NIH HHS United States
R01DA016903 DA NIDA NIH HHS United States
R01DA031579 DA NIDA NIH HHS United States
R01DA033369 DA NIDA NIH HHS United States

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