Do little annoyances relate to bullying? The links between personality, attitudes towards classroom incivility, and bullying

Abstract

Civility relates to following rules that typically are aimed at promoting positive social behaviour. A lack of civility can be either intentional (e.g., insulting a classmate) or unintentional (e.g., packing up early). Civility is an important issue within classroom settings because it not only influences classroom functioning, but may also serve as a gateway to more serious antisocial behaviour. With regard to the latter, we were specifically interested in whether attitudes towards behaviour deemed as ‘incivility’ were associated with more serious bullying behaviour. Beyond any associations with each other, we were also interested in whether incivil attitudes and bullying share common personality correlates among adolescents. To answer these questions, our study examined the links between HEXACO personality traits, intentional and unintentional incivility, and bullying. Adolescents (n = 396) completed self-report questionnaires, and results were analysed with structural equation modelling. There were similarities and differences between the personality correlates of bullying and attitudes towards the two kinds of incivility. In particular, we found a significant association between personality and bullying behaviour that was mediated by attitudes towards intentional incivility. Our results highlight the importance of increasing awareness of educators regarding classroom incivility, given its potential negative implications within a school setting.

Be a Little Rude, but not too Much: Exploring Classroom Incivility and Social Network Position in Adolescents

“…In recent years, research exploring classroom incivility has garnered increasing attention (e.g., Spadafora et al, 2020; Bingöl et al, 2018; Katt et al, 2018; Volk et al, 2016). Incivility is defined as rude or disrespectful behavior that violates social norms and has an unclear motivation (Andersson & Pearson, 1999).…”

“…Classroom incivility can negatively affect students' academic progress, create disengagement from lessons and general learning, and influence bystanders to reduce critical thinking and involvement with the material presented in class (Biggs & Tang, 2011; Hirschy & Braxton, 2004). Moreover, displays of incivility directed toward an individual tend to leave victims feeling anxious, stressed, and dejected (Zauderer, 2002), while perpetration is associated with higher intensity antisocial behavior, such as bullying and aggression (Marini, 2009; Farrell et al, 2016; Spadafora et al, 2020) and has negative psychosocial implications (Volk et al, 2016; Spadafora & Volk, 2021).…”

“…Given these negative outcomes both for the perpetrator and the classroom as a whole, a critical question arises: why do adolescents engage in uncivil behavior? We were interested in exploring if there may be potential social costs or benefits, given theoretical and empirical links between incivility and other antisocial behavior (e.g., Feldmann, 2001; Marini, 2009; Spadafora et al, 2020). To do so, it is vital to consider incivility from a perspective that focuses on students' relationships.…”

Climate change, a critical new role for educational and developmental psychologists

“…The contributions that have already been made by educational and developmental psychology have been wide-ranging and important, but there is further work to be done for educational and developmental psychologists in this space. While there is currently incredible work being produced in the field of educational and developmental psychology, I invite future research to respond to the unprecedented challenges before us (Alloway & Carpenter, 2020;Furlonger et al, 2020;Gindidis et al, 2020;Satici, 2020;Slaten et al, 2020;Spadafora et al, 2020;Zamora et al, 2020;Miller & Berger 2020;Deadman 2020;Frydenberg 2020a;Wilkerson 2020;Frydenberg 2020b). While educational and developmental psychologists are uniquely positioned to help children and young people to cope with stressors and challenges, there is a role for educational and developmental psychologists as a profession to do much more.…”

Thoughts on Incivility: A Preliminary Study to Identify Uncivil Behavior in Indonesian Higher Education

“…Long-term outcomes include decreased academic achievement and failure to reach educational goals (Al-Jubouri et al, 2020). Therefore, researchers may want to address classroom incivility to reduce its negative effect on academic and personal development (Marini, 2009;Spadafora et al, 2020).…”