Vol. 36 (2026): Volumen 36
Artículos de Investigación

Temporal sequences of maladaptive behavior in aggressive children: a T-Pattern analysis in structured tasks

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  • Gabriela Sánchez-Mondragón,
  • Luz María Flores Herrera
Gabriela Sánchez-Mondragón
Facultad de Estudios Superiores Zaragoza,UNAM.
Bio
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15174/au.2026.4500

Published 2026-03-11

How to Cite

Sánchez-Mondragón, G., & Flores Herrera, L. M. (2026). Temporal sequences of maladaptive behavior in aggressive children: a T-Pattern analysis in structured tasks. Acta Universitaria, 36, 1–22. https://doi.org/10.15174/au.2026.4500

Copyright (c) 2026 Gabriela Sánchez-Mondragón, Luz María Flores Herrera

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Abstract

Assessing childhood behavioral problems faces limitations associated with early child development. In this context, the systematic observation of dyadic interactions optimizes the collection of reliable data. This study examined differences in maladaptive behavior patterns between two groups of children (high and low aggression scores) during a structured task and a free-play situation. Participants were 10 girls and 12 boys (ages 41–73 months, M = 61.50,
SD = 9.11) interacting with their mothers. Results showed that aggressive children displayed more maladaptive behaviors, particularly during the structured task, where the observed patterns consisted of annoyance, disobedience, negative physical contact, and complaints. In the free-play situation, fewer patterns of annoyance were observed, and there was an absence of negative physical contact. These findings suggest that structured tasks, which require adherence to rules and achievement of specific goals, are more effective in revealing problematic behaviors in aggressive children.

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