Callous-Unemotional Traits and Antisocial Behavior in South Korean Children: Links with Academic Motivation, School Engagement, and Teachers' Use of Reward and Discipline

Core features of callous-unemotional traits: a cross-cultural comparison of youth in four countries

With considerable debate concerning the impact of culture on the expression of callous-unemotional (CU) traits, it is unclear whether the core features of CU traits generalize to youth across cultures. This study aimed to examine whether cultural differences are reflected in the core features of CU traits and the associations among these features. Network analysis was employed to identify the core features and to examine the network structure of CU traits operationalized by the Inventory of Callous Unemotional traits (ICU) in four community youth samples from different nations (Australia, N = 190; the UK, N = 437; the USA, N = 330; China, N = 503). The item "Apologizes to people" was identified as a cross-cultural core feature in the ICU network with a greater centrality of this item compared to others in all four samples. In addition, some items were identified as culture-specific core features in the network, differing in their centrality across samples. The network structures of the youth self-report ICU items were moderately similar across samples, while the structures of parent-report items showed substantial differences. These findings have important implications for cross-cultural research on CU traits as well as practical implications for screening and treatment. The core features of ICU appear to be generalizable in youth across cultures, although cultural-specific manifestations should be noted.

Educator Knowledge of Childhood Conduct Problems and Callous-Unemotional Traits

Research evaluating mental health literacy (MHL) of adults who support children with mental health difficulties is relatively scarce. To date, no studies have investigated educator knowledge of conduct problems and callous-unemotional (CU) traits. This is a significant gap in the literature since conduct problems are among the most prevalent childhood mental disorders, while CU traits are associated with poor academic, behavioral, and social outcomes in school settings. In the current study, we assessed educators' knowledge of the characteristics and management of conduct problems and CU traits. Participants were N = 390 preschool and primary/elementary school educators (Mage = 38.62 years, SD = 11.66; 91% woman-identifying; 71% White) who completed a Knowledge Test and survey assessing educator characteristics and various student-educator outcomes. Averaged across items, educators scored 57.1% on the Knowledge Test. We identified gaps in educator knowledge with respect to identifying characteristics associated with distinct domains of externalizing difficulties and evidence-based management strategies. Educators' years of experience and accreditation status were not associated with knowledge. Paraeducators had significantly lower knowledge scores than teachers and leadership. Unexpectedly, greater knowledge was not associated with better student-teacher relationship quality or more positive perceptions of students with conduct problems. Findings support the need for universal MHL programs focused on conduct problems and CU traits, especially among paraeducators, while also suggesting that more intensive interventions may be required to improve educator-student relationship quality.

Callous-unemotional Traits and Child Response to Teacher Rewards, Discipline, and Instructional Methods in Chinese Preschools: A Classroom Observation Study

Atypical responses to teacher rewards, discipline and different forms of instructional methods have been identified as potential contributors to disruptive behavior, low school engagement, and academic underachievement in children with elevated callous-unemotional (CU) traits. To date, research on CU traits in schools has relied on interview or questionnaire methods and has predominantly been conducted in Western countries. Thus, the present study aims to investigate the relationships between CU traits and children's responses to teacher rewards, discipline and instructional methods in the Chinese preschool context using classroom observation. Eight teachers (7 females, 1 male; M = 37.66 years) and 116 children (56% girls; M = 5.16 years) from two mainstream Chinese preschools participated in the study. Of the 116 eligible children, the behavior of 108 children from four classes were observed during classroom activities. Findings indicated that CU traits were not related to children's responses to discipline, nor did CU traits moderate the relationship between instructional methods and children's academic engagement. Higher CU traits predicted a greater frequency of one-to-one teacher-child interaction. Our findings offer initial insights into the potential of early school-based interventions in fostering engagement and prosocial behavior among children with CU traits. However, they also highlight the need for additional support for preschool teachers, who face the challenge of managing these high-risk children who appear to require more individual time and attention.

Amygdala connectivity and aggression

Neurobiological models propose that reactive aggression is predicated on impairments in amygdala-prefrontal connectivity that subserves moral decision-making and emotion regulation. The amygdala is a key component within this neural network that modulates reactive aggression. We provide a review of amygdala dysfunctional brain networks leading to reactive aggressive behavior. We elaborate on key concepts, focusing on moral decision-making and emotion regulation in a developmental context, and brain network connectivity factors relating to amygdala (dys)function-factors which we suggest predispose to reactive aggression. We additionally discuss insights into the latest treatment interventions, providing the utilization of the scientific findings for practice.

Longitudinal Associations between Callous-unemotional (CU) Traits and School-based Affiliative Relationships among South Korean Children

OBJECTIVE

Callous-unemotional traits (CU) traits are characterized by low empathy, guilt, and reduced sensitivity to others' feelings, along with a reduced drive for social affiliation. However, little is known about the relationships between CU traits and social affiliation in the school context, or the influence of gender on these associations. This study tested reciprocal associations between CU traits and school-based affiliative relationships and explored gender as a potential moderator.

METHOD

The sample included South Korean children aged 10 to 12 years (N = 218, M = 11.03, SD = .65, 52% boys). Children reported on CU traits, antisocial behavior, teacher-student relationship quality, and peer affiliation. Three-wave longitudinal cross-lagged models tested reciprocal associations between CU traits and affiliation with both teachers and peers, with multi-group modeling employed to test the moderating effect of gender.

RESULTS

Higher CU traits at time 1 predicted decreases in teacher affiliation at time 2 controlling for CU traits, teacher-child affiliation, and antisocial behavior at time 1, while lower teacher-child affiliation at time 2 predicted increases in CU traits at time 3 accounting for CU traits, teacher-child affiliation, and antisocial behavior at time 2. However, there were no reciprocal associations between CU traits and teacher affiliation nor significant associations between CU traits and peer affiliation. Gender did not moderate any pathways between CU traits and teacher or peer affiliation.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings indicate CU traits may reduce teacher-child affiliation, potentially escalating risk for further increases in CU traits. Thus, teacher-child affiliation may represent an important target for school-based intervention for children with elevated CU traits regardless of gender.

Moral reasoning, emotion understanding, and callous-unemotional traits in early-to-middle childhood

Relatively little is known about features of moral reasoning among young children with callous-unemotional (CU) traits (e.g., lack of guilt and empathy). This study tested associations between CU traits and emotion attributions (i.e., identification of others' emotional states) and justifications (i.e., explanations for those emotional states), across social scenarios involving discreet versus salient distress cues. The participants were boys aged 6-to-10 years (N = 50; Mage  = 7 years 7 months), who were interviewed about 12 hypothetical scenarios (eight with discreet and four with salient distress cues). Regression models indicated that CU traits, in interaction with high levels of antisocial behaviour, were associated with reduced emotion attributions of fear in discreet but not salient immoral scenarios. Higher CU traits were also associated with reduced justifications referencing others' welfare in discreet scenarios, and increased references to action-orientated justifications in salient scenarios. These findings suggest that CU traits are associated with early moral reasoning impairments and that salience of distress may be important to these processes.

The Influence of Antisocial Behavior and Callous-Unemotional Traits on Trajectories of School Engagement and Achievement in South-Korean Children

Poor educational outcomes are common among children with antisocial behavior problems, including among a subgroup of antisocial children with callous-unemotional traits, who show deficits in empathy, guilt, and prosociality. However, few studies have explored the unique contributions of antisocial behavior and callous-unemotional traits to school outcomes and most prior studies have been conducted in Western countries. The current study thus tested associations between callous-unemotional traits, antisocial behavior, and trajectories of school outcomes among South Korean children. Participants aged 10-12 years (N = 218; 52% boys) completed questionnaires assessing antisocial behavior, callous-unemotional traits, verbal ability, and school engagement, and teachers provided children's Math and Korean grades at three time points during a single academic year. Prospective associations were explored in conditional latent growth curve models. Both antisocial behavior and callous-unemotional traits were related to lower school engagement at the start of the academic year, but the magnitude of the associations was greater for callous-unemotional traits, suggesting a greater adverse effect of callous-unemotional traits on engagement than antisocial behavior. Moreover, children with high levels of callous-unemotional traits showed stable and low levels of school engagement. There were no significant predictive associations between antisocial behavior or callous-unemotional traits and trajectories of academic grades. The findings suggest that interventions aimed at improving educational outcomes among antisocial children should be tailored according to the presence of callous-unemotional traits to target the specific needs of individual students, particularly at the start of the school year.

Assessing the Measurement Invariance of the Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits in School Students in China and the United Kingdom

The current study investigated the measurement invariance of the Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits in school-attending youth in the UK (N = 437) and China (N = 364). The original 24-item ICU and five shortened versions proposed in previous studies were tested and compared using confirmatory factor analysis in the UK sample. Results indicated that the original ICU was a poor fit in the UK sample. A shortened, 11-item version (ICU-11) featuring two factors (Callousness and Uncaring) provided the best fit and was invariant across gender in both the UK and Chinese samples. Comparisons of the ICU-11 in UK and Chinese school children revealed a similar item-factor combination and factor loadings, but different item thresholds. Findings indicate that the ICU-11 may be a preferable alternative to the original version, but that average ICU-11 scores may have a different meaning in the UK and China.

To what extent does punishment insensitivity explain the relationship between callous-unemotional traits and academic performance in secondary school students?

BACKGROUND

Callous-unemotional (CU) traits are related to low achievement but not to deficits in verbal ability, commonly regarded as a major risk factor for poor academic outcomes in antisocial youth. This suggests that CU traits may have utility in explaining heterogeneous risk pathways for poor school performance in antisocial children. Reduced sensitivity to teacher discipline has been suggested as a potential explanation for the association between CU traits and low achievement, given its importance in facilitating engagement in learning. This study is the first to examine punishment insensitivity as a potential mechanism explaining the relationship between CU traits and poor achievement.

AIM

The current study investigated the indirect pathway from CU traits via the predictor of punishment insensitivity to English, Maths, and Science grades.

SAMPLE

A total of 437 English secondary school students aged 11 to 14 years (49% girls).

METHODS

We conducted a mediation analysis within a structural equation modelling framework. CU traits and punishment insensitivity were assessed using child report questionnaires and academic grades were obtained from school records.

RESULTS

CU traits were indirectly associated with low academic grades in Maths and Science, but not English, via punishment insensitivity, controlling for child age, gender, single parent household status, free school meals eligibility, externalizing problems, and classroom effects.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings indicated that reduced sensitivity to discipline forms a pathway linking CU traits to poor performance in Maths and Science. Teachers may therefore need additional support to implement discipline effectively with children high in CU traits in order to prevent poor academic outcomes.