CO - OPERATIVE CROSS - AGE TEACHING OF THINKING SKILLS 1 Helping S chool S tudents D eal with P eer P rovocations and A void H ostile A ttribution B ias with the CATZ C ross - age T eaching Zone I ntervention: Evidence for effectiveness and social validity Michael J. Boulton 1 , Louise Boulton 1 , Peter J. R. Macaulay 2* , Ian Garner 1 , & Hedda Marx 1 University of Chester 1 and University of Derby 2 *Corresponding author 2 School of Psychology, University of Derby, Kedleston Road, Derby, DE22 1GB, UK. Email: p.macaulay@derby.ac.uk Author disclosure statement There are no competing interests to declare. This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not - for - profit sectors. CO - OPERATIVE CROSS - AGE TEACHING OF THINKING SKILLS 2 Abstract Cross - age tutoring and co - operative group work have been shown to help student tutors and tutees acquire academic and non - academic skills and knowledge. A novel intervention (Cross - Age Teaching Zone, CATZ) that combined them was tested for its effects on s tudent tutors’ thinking skills associated with (i) dealing pro - socially with peer provocations and (ii) avoiding hostile attribution bias. Small co - operative groups of 11 - and 15 - year - old students ( N = 228) designed a CATZ lesson on these themes and delive red it to younger students. The CATZ tutors, but not matched controls ( N = 189), showed significant improvements on both outcome measures. Participants aged 9 to 15 years ( N = 469) were also asked about: (1) their willingness to act as CATZ tutors/tutees, (2) how effective they think such CATZ activities would be, (3) how much they valued autonomy in how they might deliver CATZ, and (4) their relative preference for being tau ght by older students versus teachers. Overall, participants expressed positive views of CATZ. This evidence for the effectiveness and social validity of CATZ support its more widespread use in schools to help students learn patterns of thinking that can h elp them avoid aggressive and conflict behavior.