Zora Raboteg-Šarić

War and children's aggressive and prosocial behaviour

The aim of this study was to investigate whether, and how, extreme environmental influence, such as a war situation, can affect the development of childrens aggressive and prosocial behaviour. A combined longitudinal–cross‐sectional design was used in the study. Subjects were preschool children whose behaviour was rated on the Childrens Aggressive and Prosocial Behaviour Rating Scale (Žužul, Keresteš and Vlahović‐štetić, 1990) by their teachers. At the beginning of 1991 (before the war in Croatia started) the behaviour of two groups of children (one five years old and one six years old) was assessed. One year later, the younger group was assessed again. Another group of five‐year‐old children was also included and rated at the same time. Data were analysed according to age, sex and the time of measurements. The analyses of longitudinal data and cross‐sectional comparisons support the conclusion that the war had a strong impact on the development of prosocial behaviour. In this period, childrens prosocial behaviour had increased, while aggressive behaviour had not changed. Results are discussed in terms of developmental changes and the effects of war on childrens behaviour.

The Relation of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Aspirations to Adolescent Life Satisfaction

The current study examined the importance of aspirations and their associations with life satisfaction. The sample included 468 high school students. The participants completed scales that measured their global life satisfaction, satisfaction with life domains, and the importance of intrinsic and extrinsic aspirations. The results showed that students placed more importance on intrinsic than on extrinsic life goals. Multiple regression analyses indicated that adolescent global life satisfaction was significantly predicted by aspirations for health and attractive appearance. Satisfaction with friends was related to students’ orientation toward affiliation. Satisfaction with school could be best explained by higher orientation to community contribution and lower importance of financial success. Placing more importance on community feeling was associated with higher satisfaction with family.