The Role of Hostile Attribution Bias and Working Memory in the Link between Trauma Exposure and Violence in Justice-Involved Youth

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TITLE: The Role of Hostile Attribution Bias and Working Memory in the Link between Trauma Exposure and Violence in Justice-Involved Youth PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Youth violence is a serious public health issue associated with devastating consequences for the victim and extreme economic costs to society. Youth involved with the justice system are often both victims and perpetrators of violence, the latter of which is often associated with escalating justice-system involvement. Trauma exposure is associated with an increased risk for violence perpetration but the mechanism by which trauma exposure increases the risk for violence is not clear. The strongest known cognitive factor that links trauma exposure to violence is hostile attribution bias (HAB), or a tendency to interpret the intentions of others as hostile. HAB is consistently linked to violence in youth and is thought to be the key element in the etiology and maintenance of violent behavior and is also often the mechanism of change when treating violence. However, these interventions are only partially effective. Failure to consider the impact of working memory may explain why interventions for these populations have been only partially effective. Mitigating HAB cannot occur without accessing working memory and there is a lack of knowledge as to the degree to which working memory interacts with HAB in the relation between trauma exposure and violence. No studies have examined if the interaction between HAB and working memory mediates the relation between trauma exposure and violence. The proposed study seeks to advance the field by being the first to elucidate the relations between HAB and working memory, with a particular focus on the interactions between HAB and working memory, in the link between trauma exposure and youth violence. Participants will be recruited from two youth detention centers located in the Midwest and will include 250 youth ages 11 to 17 years. The project will include career development activities and the completion of a comprehensive training plan to prepare the applicant for a research career in youth violence and cognitive psychology. The project goals will be accomplished with the support of a highly experienced team of sponsors. It is expected that the research project and training plan will significantly advance the applicant's knowledge, skills, and abilities to become an independent clinical researcher.