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Ritchie MB, Compton SAH, Oliver LD, Finger E, Neufeld RWJ, Mitchell DGV. The impact of acute violent videogame exposure on neurocognitive markers of empathic concern. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2024; 19:nsae031. [PMID: 38727544 PMCID: PMC11223611 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsae031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Research examining the purported association between violent gaming and aggression remains controversial due to concerns related to methodology, unclear neurocognitive mechanisms, and the failure to adequately consider the role of individual differences in susceptibility. To help address these concerns, we used fMRI and an emotional empathy task to examine whether acute and cumulative violent gaming exposure were associated with abnormalities in emotional empathy as a function of trait-empathy. Emotional empathy was targeted given its involvement in regulating not only aggression, but also other important social functions such as compassion and prosocial behaviour. We hypothesized that violent gaming exposure increases the risk of aberrant social behaviour by altering the aversive value of distress cues. Contrary to expectations, neither behavioural ratings nor empathy-related brain activity varied as a function of violent gaming exposure. Notably, however, activation patterns in somatosensory and motor cortices reflected an interaction between violent gaming exposure and trait empathy. Thus, our results are inconsistent with a straightforward relationship between violent gaming exposure and reduced empathy. Furthermore, they highlight the importance of considering both individual differences in susceptibility and other aspects of cognition related to social functioning to best inform public concern regarding safe gaming practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary B Ritchie
- Graduate Program in Clinical Science and Psychopathology, Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
- Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Shannon A H Compton
- Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Lindsay D Oliver
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5R0A3, Canada
| | - Elizabeth Finger
- Robarts Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
- Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
- Lawson Health Research Institute, London, ON N6C 2R5, Canada
- Parkwood Institute, St. Joseph’s Health Care, London, ON N6C 0A7, Canada
| | - Richard W J Neufeld
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Science, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Derek G V Mitchell
- Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Science, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
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2
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Facci C, Baroncelli A, Frick PJ, Ciucci E. Dimensions of Parenting and Children's Conduct Problems: The Importance of Considering Children's Callous-Unemotional Traits. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2024; 21:779. [PMID: 38929025 PMCID: PMC11204080 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21060779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2024] [Revised: 06/09/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Research has clearly indicated that the development of serious behavioral problems in children and adolescents is influenced by parenting. However, recent research has refined the role of parenting by showing the importance of distinguishing between different types of parenting and in considering the role of callous-unemotional traits (CU traits) and conduct problems (CP) of the children. In the current study, we advance this research by distinguishing between emotional (e.g., parental warmth; parental hostility) and behavioral (e.g., use of positive reinforcement; inconsistent discipline/harsh discipline) aspects of parenting and by considering the way parents respond to children's emotions (i.e., coaching and dismissing). The sample consisted of 136 mothers (M = 38.09 years, SD = 4.51 years, 45.41% high school degree) with a child (age range 3-5 years) enrolled in kindergarten in central Italy. Multiple regression analyses indicated that, after controlling for level of CP, use of positive reinforcement (β = -0.31, p < 0.001) and warm feelings (β = -0.22, p < 0.05), remained associated with CU traits and punitive parenting was no longer significant. Consistent with predictions, use of positive reinforcement was no longer associated with conduct problems when controlling for CU traits and the positive associations with punitive parenting (β = 0.24, p < 0.05) and negativity (β = 0.36, p < 0.001) remained significant. These findings support the need for continued research that considers both the emotional and behavioral aspects of parenting and disentangles their associations with conduct problems and CU traits. Such research could not only advance causal theories for children with conduct problems but also help to guide more effective treatments, especially for those with elevated CU traits who often leave treatment with significant conduct problems remaining.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Facci
- Department of Education, Languages, Interculture, Literatures and Psychology, University of Florence, Via di San Salvi 12, Complesso di San Salvi Padiglione 26, 50135 Florence, Italy; (C.F.); (E.C.)
| | - Andrea Baroncelli
- Department of Philosophy, Social Sciences and Education, University of Perugia, Piazza Giuseppe Ermini 1, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Paul J. Frick
- Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, 208 Audubon Hall, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA;
| | - Enrica Ciucci
- Department of Education, Languages, Interculture, Literatures and Psychology, University of Florence, Via di San Salvi 12, Complesso di San Salvi Padiglione 26, 50135 Florence, Italy; (C.F.); (E.C.)
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3
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Wang X, Wei H, Wang P. Adolescents High in Callous-Unemotional Traits are Prone to be Bystanders: The Roles of Moral Disengagement, Moral Identity, and Perceived Social Support. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 2024:10.1007/s10578-024-01709-y. [PMID: 38739301 DOI: 10.1007/s10578-024-01709-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
Bystanders are the most common role that adolescents play in bullying episodes, they have considerable influence on the formation of the victim's experience and the perpetrator's behavior. Based on the social-cognitive model, the current study examined the mediating role of moral disengagement in the association between callous-unemotional traits and bystander behavior and the moderating roles of moral identity and perceived social support. Participants included 2,286 Chinese adolescents aged 11-16 years (49.3% boys; Mage = 13.46, SDage = 0.93). The study showed callous-unemotional traits were significantly and positively associated with bystander behavior and this relation was partially mediated by moral disengagement. Moral identity moderated the relation between callous-unemotional traits and moral disengagement as well as callous-unemotional traits and bystander behavior. Perceived social support moderated in the direct and indirect associations between callous-unemotional traits and bystander behavior via moral disengagement. The relation between callous-unemotional traits and moral disengagement and the relation between callous-unemotional traits and bystander behavior became weaker for adolescents with high perceived social support. Surprisingly, the relation between moral disengagement and bystander behavior became stronger for adolescents with a high level of perceived social support. The results supported two specific patterns of perceived social support: stress-buffering and reverse stress-buffering. The present study contributes to our understanding of the key mechanisms underlying the association between callous-unemotional traits and adolescents' bystander behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingchao Wang
- School of Educational Science, Shanxi University, No. 92 Wucheng Road, Xiaodian District, Taiyuan, 030006, China
| | - Huibin Wei
- School of Educational Science, Shanxi University, No. 92 Wucheng Road, Xiaodian District, Taiyuan, 030006, China
| | - Pengcheng Wang
- School of Media & Communication, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, No. 800 Dongchuan Road, Minhang District, Shanghai, 200240, China.
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4
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Muratori P, Palumbo S, Vellucci S, Mariotti V, Billeci L, Levantini V, Inguaggiato E, Masi G, Milone A, Pellegrini S. Deficits in emotion recognition and processing in children with high callous-unemotional traits: the role of the MAOA gene. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2024:10.1007/s00787-024-02397-8. [PMID: 38507052 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-024-02397-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Children with high Callous-Unemotional (CU) traits show deficits in recognizing and processing facial expressions. Alterations in emotion recognition have been linked to a higher synaptic concentration of monoaminergic neurotransmitters. The current study investigated the relationship between the MAOA-Low-activity alleles and the ability to recognize and process facial expressions in 97 male children (8-12 years old) diagnosed with disruptive behavior disorder. Participants completed a computerized emotion-recognition task while an eye-tracking system recorded the number (Fixation Count, FC) and length (Fixation Duration, FD) of fixations to the eye region of the emotional stimuli. Children with high CU traits exhibited lower scores in recognition of sadness and anger, and lower FC and FD for sadness and fear than children with low CU traits. Children carrying the MAOA-Low-activity alleles displayed lower FD for sadness, and FD and FC for fear than those carrying the MAOA-High-activity alleles. These genetic effects appeared even stronger in children with CU traits. Moderation analysis revealed that CU traits were associated with lower FC and FD for fear, and lower FD for sadness, probably due to the MAOA-Low-activity alleles. Our findings, although to be replicated, suggest MAOA-Low-activity alleles as potential genetic biomarkers to identify CU children in need of training focused on emotion processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pietro Muratori
- Scientific Institute of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, Calambrone, Pisa, Italy
| | - Sara Palumbo
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Stefano Vellucci
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Veronica Mariotti
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Lucia Billeci
- Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Pisa, Italy
| | - Valentina Levantini
- Scientific Institute of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, Calambrone, Pisa, Italy
| | - Emanuela Inguaggiato
- Scientific Institute of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, Calambrone, Pisa, Italy
| | - Gabriele Masi
- Scientific Institute of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, Calambrone, Pisa, Italy
| | - Annarita Milone
- Scientific Institute of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, Calambrone, Pisa, Italy
| | - Silvia Pellegrini
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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Wertag A, Ribar M, Sučić I. A look through dark-colored glasses: The Dark Tetrad and affective processing. Scand J Psychol 2024; 65:26-31. [PMID: 37464474 DOI: 10.1111/sjop.12951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 05/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023]
Abstract
The Dark Tetrad personality traits (i.e., narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and sadism) have been continuously linked to various deficits in affective reactivity. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship of the Dark Tetrad and processing of emotional pictures. A total of 144 participants (56.9% female, Mage = 22.18, SDage = 2.26) completed measures of the Dark Tetrad, and rated pictures selected form the International Affective Picture System (IAPS), classified in accordance with their norms into highly arousing positive and negative. Affective processing measures included participants' valence and arousal ratings, while cognitive processing was measured my means of the response latency for each response. The results showed that the dark traits were related only to valence, but not arousal ratings. Higher narcissism and lower sadism were associated with more positive valence ratings of positive pictures, and higher sadism was associated with more positive ratings of negative pictures. Moreover, higher Machiavellianism predicted faster assessment of valence and arousal of both positive and negative pictures, and higher sadism predicted slower assessment of negative pictures' valence. Obtained results indicate that deficiencies in affective processing are more pronounced in sadism compared to other dark traits, while Machiavellianism is associated with advantages in cognitive processing, highlighting their significance and uniqueness in the Dark Tetrad constellation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja Wertag
- Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Maja Ribar
- Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ines Sučić
- Institute of Social Sciences Ivo Pilar, Zagreb, Croatia
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Lin Y, Xie B. Disentangle psychopathic traits, self-construal and prosocial behaviours: A literature review. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2023; 240:104045. [PMID: 37826884 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2023.104045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Psychopathy encompasses a constellation of personality traits, including interpersonal callousness, absence of remorse and guilt, and impulsivity. While extensive research has linked psychopathy to various antisocial behaviours, there has been a scarcity of studies investigating its association with prosocial behaviours, particularly within diverse sociocultural contexts. This comprehensive review explores recent literature that delves into the intricate interplay between psychopathy, prosocial behaviours, and self-construal. The current review reveals a complex and sometimes contradictory relationship between psychopathy and prosocial behaviours. The authors also examine the role of self-construal, a crucial sociocultural aspect, in relation to psychopathy and prosocial behaviours, and imply the intricate interplay between them. Amidst the review, the interactions between key constructs and sociocultural as well as contextual factors, including group identification and public awareness, are highlighted, and their potential role in modulating individuals' prosocial decision-making is discussed. At last, this review pinpointed notable research gaps: the potential moderating role of self-construal in the connection between psychopathy and prosocial behaviours, and a methodologically specific recommendation for future research is proposed. These findings consolidate the current evidence on psychopathy, self-construal and prosocial behaviours, and offer valuable insights into how sociocultural factors contribute to the heterogeneous expression of psychopathic traits, illuminating the directions for research on the development of culture-specific conceptualizations of psychopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiheng Lin
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 600 Wanping Nan Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai 200030, People's Republic of China.
| | - Bin Xie
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 600 Wanping Nan Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai 200030, People's Republic of China.
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7
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Sakki H, Clair MS, Hwang S, Allen JL. The association between callous-unemotional traits and substance use in childhood and adolescence: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Affect Disord 2023; 338:502-517. [PMID: 37390924 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.06.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2023]
Abstract
Callous-unemotional (CU) traits are characterized by a lack of guilt and empathy, restricted affect, and low concern about performance, and are increasingly recognized as co-occurring with substance use in youth. However, there is mixed evidence concerning whether they make a unique contribution to substance use. This systematic review and meta-analysis sought to quantify the association between CU traits and substance use in childhood, accounting for potential moderators including sample characteristics (age, gender, community versus clinical/forensic samples), CU traits measure and informant, and study design (cross-sectional or longitudinal). Separate meta-analyses were conducted for alcohol, cannabis, and a substance use composite. Small, significant associations were found between CU traits and alcohol (θ = 0.17), cannabis (θ = 0.17) and the substance use composite (θ = 0.15), which were present in both community and clinical/forensic samples. Findings suggest that CU traits co-occur with a range of substance use problems, and that CU traits should be considered in assessments of youth presenting with substance use problems regardless of the nature of the setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Sakki
- Department of Psychology, University of Bath, 10 West, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Michelle St Clair
- Department of Psychology, University of Bath, 10 West, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Suhlim Hwang
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, University College London, Institute of Education, 25 Woburn Square, London WC1H 0AA, UK
| | - Jennifer L Allen
- Department of Psychology, University of Bath, 10 West, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, UK.
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8
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Wilke J, Goagoses N. Morality in middle childhood: the role of callous-unemotional traits and emotion regulation skills. BMC Psychol 2023; 11:283. [PMID: 37735710 PMCID: PMC10515015 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-023-01328-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The development of morality is vital for fostering prosocial behavior and enhancing both individual and societal well-being. Clarifying what contextual and individual factors play a role in moral processes during childhood can contribute to our understanding of the development of morality. Given the previous acknowledgment of importance, yet lack of existing empirical findings, the study focused on the significance of callous-unemotional traits (i.e., an affective-interpersonal personality trait, related to psychopathy in adulthood) and emotion regulation (i.e., an essential part of socio-emotional competence, and a transdiagnostic factor in the development of psychopathology) for moral emotions and cognitions during middle childhood. The concrete aim was to examine direct and indirect effects of callous-unemotional trait dimensions (callousness, uncaring, unemotionality) onto immoral emotional attribution (i.e., feeling good after immoral decisions) and admissibility of immoral actions (i.e., evaluating immoral actions as being okay) via emotion regulation skills. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted with 194 children attending Grades 1 to 4, and their primary caregivers. The children completed the Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits and caregivers completed the Emotion Regulation Checklist. The children were also presented with a set of moral dilemma vignettes, and asked about the emotions of protagonists who acted immoral, and the admissibility of their actions. RESULTS Path-model analysis revealed (1) negative direct effects of emotion regulation skills onto immoral emotional attribution and admissibility of immoral actions, (2) positive direct effects of the dimensions callousness and uncaring onto immoral emotional attribution and admissibility of immoral actions, and (3) negative direct effects of dimensions callousness and uncaring onto emotion regulation skills. Indirect effects, indicating that emotion regulation skills mediate the association between the callous-unemotional trait dimensions and morality, were also found. CONCLUSION The findings address a knowledge gap and indicate that emotion regulation skills, callousness, and uncaring play an important role in morality in middle childhood and should be included in frameworks of moral decision-making and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Wilke
- Department of Special Needs Education & Rehabilitation, Carl von Ossietzky Universität of Oldenburg, Ammerländer Heerstraße 114-118, 26129, Oldenburg, Germany.
| | - Naska Goagoses
- Department of Special Needs Education & Rehabilitation, Carl von Ossietzky Universität of Oldenburg, Ammerländer Heerstraße 114-118, 26129, Oldenburg, Germany
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Pasalich DS, Aquilina B, Hassall A, Goulter N, Xyrakis N, Khoo A. Childhood Experiences of Alternative Care and Callousness/Unemotionality: A Conceptual Model, Scoping Review, and Research Agenda. Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev 2023; 26:789-804. [PMID: 37436541 PMCID: PMC10465668 DOI: 10.1007/s10567-023-00445-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023]
Abstract
Individuals with experiences of alternative care (AC; i.e., out-of-home care and institutional care) are at high risk for various mental health and relational problems stemming from exposure to serious attachment disruptions, loss, and complex trauma. Yet, despite the interpersonal context of their significant adversities, surprisingly there is scant research explicitly focusing on callousness/unemotionality (e.g., lack of guilt, callous disregard for others) in this population. This paper provides the first conceptual model for, and systematic scoping review of, callousness/unemotionality in children and young people with experiences of AC. In a comprehensive search of nine databases, 22 articles involving samples of participants in AC or with histories of AC, were identified for inclusion. The pattern of findings revealed that callous-unemotional and psychopathic traits are elevated in children and young people with AC experiences, and positively associated with AC. Moreover, results showed associations between these traits and various psychosocial correlates, most consistently with externalizing and internalizing problems and attachment-related problems. Only two intervention studies were located, one of which found benefits of training and supporting foster caregivers for reducing callous-unemotional traits. These findings are discussed with respect to gaps in the literature, future research directions, and trauma-informed practice to assess and treat callousness/unemotionality in children and young people with experiences of AC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dave S Pasalich
- School of Medicine and Psychology, Australian National University, Building 39, Science Rd, ACT 2601, Canberra, Australia.
| | - Benjamin Aquilina
- School of Medicine and Psychology, Australian National University, Building 39, Science Rd, ACT 2601, Canberra, Australia
| | - Alison Hassall
- School of Medicine and Psychology, Australian National University, Building 39, Science Rd, ACT 2601, Canberra, Australia
| | - Natalie Goulter
- School of Psychology, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Nakiya Xyrakis
- School of Medicine and Psychology, Australian National University, Building 39, Science Rd, ACT 2601, Canberra, Australia
| | - Anderson Khoo
- School of Medicine and Psychology, Australian National University, Building 39, Science Rd, ACT 2601, Canberra, Australia
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Zhang G, Zhu Y. The Mediating Role of Callous-Unemotional Traits in the Relationship between Parental Aggression and Behavioral Problems among Chinese Preschoolers. CHILDREN (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 10:1054. [PMID: 37371285 PMCID: PMC10297390 DOI: 10.3390/children10061054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
It is well known that aggressive parenting is associated with behavioral problems among Western children in their early childhood, but this has rarely been examined among Chinese preschoolers. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between aggressive parenting, callous-unemotional traits (CU traits), and behavioral problems among a large Chinese preschool sample. Data were collected in Wuhu city, China, from 1879 preschoolers (54% of whom were male) with a mean age of 65.66 months (standard deviation = 9.41). Parents provided information about the frequency of aggressive parenting, children's behaviors, and demographic characteristics via an online questionnaire. Mediation models were applied to analyze the associations between aggressive parenting, CU traits, and behavioral problems. Preschoolers' age, gender, and family socioeconomic status were considered as covariates. The findings of our study revealed that higher frequencies of parental psychological and physical aggression were associated with high levels of CU traits, which were related to increased levels of preschoolers' behavioral problems. This study extends previous studies by revealing a positive relationship between aggressive parenting and behavioral problems among Chinese preschoolers via CU traits and highlights the risks of aggressive parenting. Interventions for improving parenting strategies and lessening callous-unemotional traits should be developed to help reduce behavioral problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gengli Zhang
- Faculty of Educational Science, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241000, China
| | - Yantong Zhu
- School of Comprehensive Human Science, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8577, Japan
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11
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Zhang G, Zhu Y. Conceptualizing Callous-Unemotional Traits in Chinese Preschoolers: Factor Structure and Measurement Invariance. CHILDREN (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 10:925. [PMID: 37371157 DOI: 10.3390/children10060925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 05/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
With the increasing use of the Inventory of Callous Unemotional Traits (ICU) to examine callous-unemotional traits, few studies have explicitly tested the most appropriate ICU factor structures and measurement invariance in Chinese children at preschool age. This study was conducted with a large community sample of 2055 Chinese preschoolers (53.6% male, M age = 62.23 months, SD = 9.91) to test the most appropriate model of ICU and the measurement invariance across parent gender, child gender, as well as age. The confirmatory factor model suggested that the two-factor model with 11 items (ICU-11) is the best-fitting model for a Chinese preschool sample, which includes a callousness and an unemotional factor. The results from measurement invariance revealed that the factor structures were invariant across child gender, as well as child age and parental gender. The finding suggested that the ICU-11 may be a useful tool for evaluating CU traits in Chinese preschoolers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gengli Zhang
- Faculty of Educational Science, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241000, China
| | - Yantong Zhu
- School of Comprehensive Human Science, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8577, Japan
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12
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Grossi G, Strappini F, Iuliano E, Passiatore Y, Mancini F, Levantini V, Masi G, Milone A, Santaguida E, Salekin RT, Muratori P, Buonanno C. Psychopathic Traits, Externalizing Problems, and Prosocial Behavior: The Role of Social Dominance Orientation. J Clin Med 2023; 12:jcm12103521. [PMID: 37240627 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12103521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 05/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Psychopathic traits in community and referred youths are strongly associated with severe externalizing problems and low prosocial behavior. However, less is known about the mechanisms that may link youth psychopathy and these outcomes. Social dominance orientation (SDO), defined as the general individual orientation toward unequal and dominant/subordinate relationships, might represent a valuable construct to explore to better understand the association between psychopathic traits, externalizing problems, and prosocial behavior. Based on this, the current study aimed to investigate the relationship between psychopathic traits, SDO, externalizing problems, and prosocial behavior in a community sample (N = 92, 45.57% females, mean age = 12.53, and SD = 0.60) and in a clinical (N = 29, 9% female, mean age = 12.57, and SD = 0.57) samples of adolescents with Oppositional Defiant Disorder or Conduct Disorder. Results showed that SDO mediated the relationship between psychopathic traits and externalizing problems and between psychopathic traits and prosocial behavior only in the clinical sample. These findings can provide valuable information on psychopathic trait correlates in youths with aggressive behavior disorders; treatment implications are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Grossi
- APC-SPC Scuola di Pscioterapia Cognitiva, 00185 Rome, Italy
- Centro di Psicoterapia e Riabiliatzione InMovimento, 04022 Fondi, Italy
| | - Francesca Strappini
- APC-SPC Scuola di Pscioterapia Cognitiva, 00185 Rome, Italy
- Department of Philosophy and Communication Studies, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Enrico Iuliano
- APC-SPC Scuola di Pscioterapia Cognitiva, 00185 Rome, Italy
- Centro di Psicoterapia e Riabiliatzione InMovimento, 04022 Fondi, Italy
| | - Ylenia Passiatore
- Centro di Psicoterapia e Riabiliatzione InMovimento, 04022 Fondi, Italy
- Department of Education Sciences, Università Degli Studi Roma Tre, 00154 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Mancini
- APC-SPC Scuola di Pscioterapia Cognitiva, 00185 Rome, Italy
- Department of Human Sciences, Università Degli Studi Guglielmo Marconi, 00193 Rome, Italy
| | - Valentina Levantini
- IRCCS Stella Maris, Scientific Institute of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, 56018 Pisa, Italy
| | - Gabriele Masi
- IRCCS Stella Maris, Scientific Institute of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, 56018 Pisa, Italy
| | - Annarita Milone
- IRCCS Stella Maris, Scientific Institute of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, 56018 Pisa, Italy
| | - Erica Santaguida
- Institute of Mechanical Intelligence, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, 56127 Pisa, Italy
| | - Randall T Salekin
- Department of Psychology, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA
| | - Pietro Muratori
- IRCCS Stella Maris, Scientific Institute of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, 56018 Pisa, Italy
| | - Carlo Buonanno
- APC-SPC Scuola di Pscioterapia Cognitiva, 00185 Rome, Italy
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13
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Colins OF. Testing Three New Scoring Methods to Identify Detained Adolescent Girls with Elevated Levels of Callous-Unemotional Traits. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol 2023; 51:727-742. [PMID: 36609728 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-022-01008-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Different scoring methods have been proposed to identify adolescents with high levels of callous-unemotional (CU) traits as measured by the Inventory of Callous-Unemotional traits (ICU). This is the first study to scrutinize the usefulness of the normative, empirical, and DSM-5 with Limited Prosocial Emotions (LPE) scoring methods in criminal justice-involved girls (N = 192). Girls (Mage = 15.74) completed the ICU and other self-report questionnaires. A diagnostic interview was used to determine the presence of conduct disorder (CD) and other psychiatric disorders. Official arrest and rearrest data were also collected. The three scoring methods designated girls with (versus without) CU traits who scored higher on various indices of past and future antisocial behavior, exhibited higher rates of (childhood-onset) CD and higher levels of psychopathic traits, and displayed lower levels of agreeableness and conscientiousness. It was only when the normative and empirical scoring methods were applied that girls with CU traits had higher rates of substance use disorders and were less anxious, depressed, and/or neurotic. In a subsample of girls with CD (N = 119), the three scoring methods captured a more severely antisocial subgroup. Other expected group differences emerged, though mainly when the normative scoring method was used. Results provided support for the clinical utility of the three scoring methods but also showed that the normative scoring method most aligns with theoretical expectations. Research is warranted to explore if this normative scoring method serves as a better categorically-defined specifier for CD than the specifier that is incorporated in the DSM-5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier F Colins
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Department of Special Needs Education, Ghent University, Dunantlaan 2, 9000, Gent, Belgium.
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14
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Ribes-Guardiola P, Ventura-Bort C, Poy R, Segarra P, Branchadell V, Moltó J. Attention-affect interactions and triarchic psychopathy: New electrophysiological insights from the late positive potential. Psychophysiology 2023; 60:e14222. [PMID: 36416527 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Revised: 10/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
One of the most prominent characteristics of psychopathy is a reduced processing of emotionally relevant information. However, it is still unclear how attentional mechanisms may modulate this deficit. The current study aimed to examine the impact of attentional focus on emotion processing in relation to the triarchic constructs of boldness, meanness, and disinhibition. Participants performed two tasks in which pleasant, neutral, and unpleasant framed pictures were presented. In the first task, participants were required to indicate the color of the frame (alternative-focus task), whereas in the second task they were instructed to indicate the emotional category of the image (affect-focus task). The Late Positive Potential (LPP) was used as an index of sustained engagement of attention to affective material. Confirming a successful task manipulation, we observed reduced LPP amplitudes, particularly for affective relevant material, in the alternative-focus task compared to the affect-focus task. Most interestingly, our results evidenced that trait meanness scores were associated with blunted elaborative processing of affective material (both appetitive and aversive) when this information was task-relevant (affect-focus task), but not when it was task-irrelevant (alternative-focus task). These findings indicate that high mean individuals are characterized by blunted elaborative processing of affective stimuli when their motivational relevance is determined in a top-down manner (i.e., when it is task-relevant). Our results highlight the need for further studying of the bottom-up and top-down dynamics of emotional attention in psychopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Ribes-Guardiola
- Affective Neuroscience Lab, Department of Basic and Clinical Psychology, and Psychobiology, Universitat Jaume I, Castelló, Spain
| | - Carlos Ventura-Bort
- Department of Biological Psychology and Affective Science, Faculty of Human Sciences, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Rosario Poy
- Affective Neuroscience Lab, Department of Basic and Clinical Psychology, and Psychobiology, Universitat Jaume I, Castelló, Spain
| | - Pilar Segarra
- Affective Neuroscience Lab, Department of Basic and Clinical Psychology, and Psychobiology, Universitat Jaume I, Castelló, Spain
| | - Victoria Branchadell
- Affective Neuroscience Lab, Department of Basic and Clinical Psychology, and Psychobiology, Universitat Jaume I, Castelló, Spain
| | - Javier Moltó
- Affective Neuroscience Lab, Department of Basic and Clinical Psychology, and Psychobiology, Universitat Jaume I, Castelló, Spain
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15
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Abstract
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies consistently indicate differences in emotion processing in youth with conduct problems. However, no prior meta-analysis has investigated emotion-specific responses associated with conduct problems. This meta-analysis aimed to generate an up-to-date assessment of socio-affective neural responding among youths with conduct problems. A systematic literature search was conducted in youths (ages 10-21) with conduct problems. Task-specific seed-based d mapping analyses examined responses to threatening images, fearful and angry facial expressions, and empathic pain stimuli from 23 fMRI studies, which included 606 youths with conduct problems and 459 comparison youths. Whole-brain analyses revealed youths with conduct problems relative to typically developing youths, when viewing angry facial expressions, had reduced activity in left supplementary motor area and superior frontal gyrus. Additional region of interest analyses of responses to negative images and fearful facial expressions showed reduced activation in right amygdala across youths with conduct problems. Youths with callous-unemotional traits also exhibited reduced activation in left fusiform gyrus, superior parietal gyrus, and middle temporal gyrus when viewing fearful facial expressions. Consistent with the behavioral profile of conduct problems, these findings suggest the most consistent dysfunction is found in regions associated with empathic responding and social learning, including the amygdala and temporal cortex. Youth with callous-unemotional traits also show reduced activation in the fusiform gyrus, consistent with reduced attention or facial processing. These findings highlight the potential role of empathic responding, social learning, and facial processing along with the associated brain regions as potential targets for interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn Berluti
- Department of Psychology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA.
| | - Montana L Ploe
- Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman, DC, USA
| | - Abigail A Marsh
- Department of Psychology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
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16
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The Origins of the Dark—Hyperactivity and Negative Peer Relationships, an Objectively Lower Sleep Efficiency, and a Longer Sleep Onset Latency at Age Five Were Associated with Callous-Unemotional Traits and Low Empathy at Age 14. J Clin Med 2023; 12:jcm12062248. [PMID: 36983253 PMCID: PMC10053498 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12062248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 01/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Within the spectrum of emotional competencies, callous-unemotional traits are socially discouraged, while empathy is considered a socially much more accepted emotional trait. This holds particularly true for adolescents, who are still building up their social and emotional competencies. The aims of the present study were two-fold: First, longitudinally, to identify traits of behavioral problems and objective sleep dimensions at the age of 5 years to predict callous-unemotional traits and empathy at the age of 14 years. Second, cross-sectionally, to associate callous-unemotional traits and empathy with current insomnia, stress, and mental toughness. Methods: Preschoolers at the age of 5 years were contacted nine years later at the age of 14 years. At 5 years, parents rated their children’s behavior (Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire, SDQ); in parallel, children underwent a one-night sleep-EEG assessment. At the age of 14 years, adolescents completed a series of questionnaires covering callous-unemotional traits, insomnia, empathy, stress, and mental toughness. Results: A total of 77 adolescents (38.1% females) took part in the present study. Longitudinally, higher scores for hyperactivity at age 5 significantly predicted higher callous-unemotional traits at age 14. A higher score for negative peer relationships at age 5 significantly predicted lower scores for cognitive empathy at age 14. Further, objective sleep-EEG measures showed that a higher sleep efficiency and a shorter sleep latency was associated with lower scores for callousness. Cross-sectionally, higher scores for callous-unemotional traits were associated with higher insomnia and stress, while lower insomnia was associated with higher empathy. Mental toughness was unrelated to callous-unemotional traits and empathy. Conclusions: It appears that hyperactivity traits and negative peer relationships and more unfavorable objective sleep patterns at 5 years predicted socially discouraged callous-unemotional traits and low empathy during adolescence. Further, cross-sectionally at the age of 14, callous-unemotional traits, subjective poor sleep, and higher stress were associated.
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17
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Mohamad Khalil AE, Kuay HS, Husain M, Kueh YC. Validation of the inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits among school-going adolescents in Malaysia. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0276724. [PMID: 36795657 PMCID: PMC9934360 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0276724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
A key component in the study of antisocial behaviour among adolescents is the presence of callous-unemotional (CU) traits. Among the established tools available to measure CU traits is the Inventory of Callous-Unemotional traits (ICU). To date, there is no validated questionnaire to assess CU traits for the local population. Therefore, there is a need to validate the Malay version of the ICU (M-ICU) so that research can be conducted to explore CU traits among adolescents in Malaysia. The aim of the study is to validate the M-ICU. Two phases of cross-sectional study involving 409 (phase 1 -exploratory factor analysis (EFA), n = 180; phase 2-confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), n = 229) adolescents aged between 13 to 18 years old were conducted from July until October 2020 at six secondary schools in Kuantan district. Participants were selected via multistage random sampling. The ICU was initially translated into Malay language using forward-backward translation procedure by a group of bilingual researchers. Study participants completed the final version of the M-ICU questionnaire and socio-demographic questionnaire. Data was analysed using SPSS version 26 and MPlus software for factor structure validity by performing EFA and CFA. Initial EFA revealed three factors with two items deleted. A further EFA with two factors resulted in the deletion of unemotional factor items. Cronbach's alpha for overall scale improved from 0.70 to 0.74. CFA supported a two-factor solution with 17 items compared to the original English version that has three factors with 24 items. The findings revealed acceptable fit indices (RMSEA = 0.057, CFI = 0.941, TLI = 0.932, WRMR = 0.968). The study revealed that a two-factor model with 17 items of the M-ICU has good psychometric properties. The scale is valid and reliable to measure CU traits among adolescents in Malaysia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aref Ezrin Mohamad Khalil
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medical Sciences, Health Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kelantan, Malaysia
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Hospital Kemaman, Kemaman, Terengganu, Malaysia
| | - Hue San Kuay
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medical Sciences, Health Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kelantan, Malaysia
| | - Maruzairi Husain
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medical Sciences, Health Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kelantan, Malaysia
| | - Yee Cheng Kueh
- Biostatistics and Research Methodology Unit, School of Medical Sciences, Health Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia
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18
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De Wit-De Visser B, Rijckmans M, Vermunt JK, van Dam A. Pathways to antisocial behavior: a framework to improve diagnostics and tailor therapeutic interventions. Front Psychol 2023; 14:993090. [PMID: 36844347 PMCID: PMC9947159 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.993090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD), and antisocial behavior (ASB) in general, is associated with significant impact on individuals themselves, their environment, and society. Although various interventions show promising results, no evidence-based treatments are available for individuals with ASPD. Therefore, making informed choices about which treatment can be applied to an individual patient is complicated. Furthermore, contradictory findings on therapy effectiveness and underlying factors of ASB, such as cognitive impairments and personality traits, fuel the debate whether the conceptualization of ASPD in the DSM-5 is accurate and whether this population can be seen as homogeneous. A conceptual framework, based on the reciprocal altruism theory, is presented in which we propose different pathways to ASB. These pathways suggest underlying dynamics of ASB and provide an explanation for previous contradictory research outcomes. This framework is intended to serve as a clinically relevant model that provides directions for improving diagnostics and matching treatments to underlying dynamics in the antisocial population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brenda De Wit-De Visser
- GGZ WNB, Research and Innovation, Halsteren, Netherlands,Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tranzo Scientific Center for Care and Welfare, Tilburg University, Tilburg, Netherlands,*Correspondence: Brenda De Wit-De Visser,
| | - Madeleine Rijckmans
- Fivoor, Fivoor Science and Treatment Innovation, Poortugaal, Netherlands,Clinical and Forensic Psychology, Department of Developmental Psychology, Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tilburg University, Tilburg, Netherlands
| | - Jeroen K. Vermunt
- Department of Methodology and Statistics, Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tilburg University, Tilburg, Netherlands
| | - Arno van Dam
- GGZ WNB, Research and Innovation, Halsteren, Netherlands,Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tranzo Scientific Center for Care and Welfare, Tilburg University, Tilburg, Netherlands
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19
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Parent J, Jones DJ, DiMarzio K, Yang Y, Wright KL, Sullivan ADW, Forehand R. The Effects of Young Children's Callous-Unemotional Traits on Behaviorally Observed Outcomes in Standard and Technology-Enhanced Behavioral Parent Training. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol 2023; 51:165-175. [PMID: 36344876 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-022-00979-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Behavioral Parent Training (BPT) remains the current standard of care for early onset behavior disorders (BD); however, problem behaviors characterized by relatively high callous unemotional (CU) traits are linked to poorer treatment outcomes, highlighting the need for novel interventions. This study examined the relation of baseline child CU traits to changes in observed parent and child (3 to 8 years old) behavior in 101 families with low-income randomized to either a standard (Helping the Noncompliant Child, HNC) or technology-enhanced BPT program (TE-HNC). Assessments occurred at baseline, post-intervention, and at a three-month follow-up. Treatment group moderated the relation between CU traits and observed parenting behaviors and child compliance. Specifically, higher levels of child CU traits at baseline predicted lower levels of positive parenting at post-intervention and follow-up, and lower levels of child compliance at follow-up but only in the standard program (HNC). This is the first intervention study to behaviorally assess the differential impact of CU traits in standard, relative to technology-enhanced, BPT and suggests the promise of a technology-enhanced treatment model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin Parent
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University, Providence, USA.
- Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University, 1 Hoppin St #204, Providence, RI, USA.
| | - Deborah J Jones
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Karissa DiMarzio
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, USA
| | - Yexinyu Yang
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Kat L Wright
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, USA
| | | | - Rex Forehand
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, Burlington, USA
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20
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Attachment to others and callous-unemotional traits in a sample of high school students. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-023-04237-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
AbstractAlthough several evidences suggested the importance to consider the quality of relationships with others as a key element for the understanding of callous-unemotional traits in youths, to date few studies investigated the specific role of youths’ attachment. The aim of the present study was to explore the association between attachment styles and callous-unemotional traits within a community sample of 786 high school students (41.48% females, M age = 16.90 years, SD = 1.45 years). A linear hierarchical regression approach showed that, over and above gender, age, and levels of both internalizing and externalizing problems, unique variance in callous-unemotional traits was accounted for by low confidence, high discomfort with closeness, and low preoccupation with relationships. Moreover, focusing on specific subcomponents of callous-unemotional traits, it was found that high levels of perceiving relationships as secondary were related to the callous-lack of empathy component, while higher levels in discomfort with closeness were associated to the restricted affect component. Emerged results were discussed within the context of the Sensitivity to Threat and Affiliative Reward (STAR) Model, that was recently advanced to in-depth understand callous-unemotional traits in children and adolescents.
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21
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The social correlates to callous-unemotional traits in a sample of high school students. Behav Ther 2023; 54:595-604. [PMID: 37088513 DOI: 10.1016/j.beth.2023.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Callous-Unemotional (CU) traits are strongly related to early-onset and severe levels of conduct problems. However, much less research has focused on their association with potential problems in adolescents' social relationships. Further, it is important to determine if CU traits explain variance in important social variables, independent of conduct problems or general personality dimensions related to sociability, like agreeableness. In the current study, we examined the association of CU traits with a range of social variables in a community sample of Italian adolescents (N = 563; 460 girls; mean age = 15.80, SD = 1.50). Measures for the social variables included assessment of peer rejection, adolescents' prosocial behaviors, satisfaction in peer relationships, and feelings of connection with school and classmates. We also obtained self-report ratings of CU traits, conduct problems (CP) and agreeableness. Analyses showed that CU traits were significantly associated with all the social variables. After controlling for CP and agreeableness, CU traits were still positively associated with ratings of peer rejection and negatively associated with prosocial behavior and satisfaction in relationships with peers. However, the negative associations with feelings of connection to school and peers were no longer significant. These findings provide further support for the clinical usefulness of CU traits and further evidence for potential targets of intervention, particularly focused on the adolescent's relational skills.
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22
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Predicting youth aggression with empathy and callous unemotional traits: A Meta-analytic review. Clin Psychol Rev 2022; 98:102186. [PMID: 36240695 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2022.102186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Revised: 06/12/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Historically, empathy has been thought to motivate prosocial behaviour and inhibit aggressive behaviour. Contrary to current assumptions and theoretical support, a meta-analysis revealed a small effect of empathy on aggression among adults (Vachon, Lynam, & Johnson, 2014). The current study sought to determine whether broadening the focus from empathy to include other socially relevant affective characteristics (i.e., callous-unemotional traits) was advantageous in predicting aggressive behaviour. As little is known about the strength of this association among youth, the current study meta-analytically examined 192 unique effect sizes drawn from published and unpublished studies reporting on samples of children and adolescents. Analyses were conducted across general, cognitive, and emotional empathy, as well as callous-unemotional traits, and general, direct, indirect, proactive, and reactive aggression. Significant variability was noted across effect sizes. Consistent with a prior meta-analysis involving adults (Vachon et al., 2014), small to moderate associations were identified between aggression and traditional measures of empathy (i.e., general, emotional, cognitive); these effects ranged from r = -0.06 to -0.26. Among broader measures of emotional style (i.e., callous-unemotional traits), moderate to large effects were found; ranging from r = 0.30 to 0.37. Results suggested that broader affective measures may be more strongly associated with aggression than empathy alone. The results raise questions about the nature of empathy assessment and indicate the utility of targeting multiple emotion-related factors during treatment to effectively reduce aggressive behaviour. In particular, the results underscore of the importance of considering the limited prosocial emotions specifier (perhaps trans-diagnostically given the varied nature of the sample) when considering implications for prognosis and treatment targets.
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23
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Kemp EC, Ray JV, Frick PJ, Robertson EL, Fanti KA, Essau CA, Baroncelli A, Ciucci E, Bijttebier P. Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits (ICU) Factor Structure and Measurement Invariance in an Adolescent Multinational Sample. JOURNAL OF CLINICAL CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGY : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL FOR THE SOCIETY OF CLINICAL CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGY, AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION, DIVISION 53 2022:1-12. [PMID: 36450005 DOI: 10.1080/15374416.2022.2148531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits (ICU) is a widely used, comprehensive measure of callous-unemotional (CU) traits. While the ICU total score is used frequently in research, the scale's factor structure remains highly debated. Inconsistencies in past factor structure research appear to be largely due to the use of small non-representative samples and failure to control for method variance (i.e., item wording direction). METHOD The current study used a multitrait-multimethod (MTMM) confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) approach that considers both trait and method variance to test the factor structure of a 22-item version of the self-report ICU in a multinational community sample of 4,683 adolescents (ages 11-17). RESULTS Results showed that a hierarchical four-factor model (i.e., one overarching CU factor, four latent trait factors) that controlled for method variance (i.e., by allowing residuals from positively worded items to covary) provided the best fit (χ2 = 2797.307, df = 160, RMSEA=.059, CFI=.922, TLI=.888, SRMR=.045). CONCLUSIONS After controlling for method variance, the best-fitting factor structure is consistent with how the ICU was developed and corresponds to the four symptoms of Limited Prosocial Emotions (LPE) specifier in the DSM-5 criteria for Conduct Disorder (CD). In addition, measurement invariance of this factor structure across age (i.e., younger versus older adolescents) and sex was supported. As a result, mean differences in ICU total score across age and sex can be interpreted as reflecting true variations in these traits. Further, we documented that boys generally scored higher than girls on the ICU, and this sex difference was larger in later adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily C Kemp
- Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University
| | - James V Ray
- Department of Criminal Justice, University of Central Florida
| | - Paul J Frick
- Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University
- Institute for Learning Sciences and Teacher Education, Australian Catholic University
| | | | | | | | - Andrea Baroncelli
- Department of Philosophy, Social Sciences and Education, University of Perugia
| | - Enrica Ciucci
- Department of Education, Languages, Intercultures, Literatures, and Psychology, University of Florence
| | - Patricia Bijttebier
- School Psychology and Development in Context, KU Leuven
- KU Leuven Child and Youth Institute
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24
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Fantozzi P, Muratori P, Levantini V, Mammarella I, Masi G, Milone A, Petrucci A, Ricci F, Tacchi A, Cristofani C, Valente E. Callous-Unemotional Traits and Intelligence in Children with Externalizing Behavioral Problems. CHILDREN (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 9:1768. [PMID: 36421217 PMCID: PMC9689262 DOI: 10.3390/children9111768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Research on the association between callous-unemotional (CU) traits and intelligence yielded contradictory results. Moreover, several previous studies focused on global intelligence scores or verbal vs. nonverbal/performance abilities usually evaluated with short/abbreviated instruments. The current study builds on these previous works and explores the link between CU traits and intelligence using the full version of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-4th Edition (WISC-IV), which provides four different verbal and nonverbal abilities scores. This guarantees a more detailed evaluation of children's intelligence and its relation to CU traits. The sample included children (N = 149; age 6-14 years old) with severe behavioral problems. Clinicians administered the WISC-IV, and parents completed questionnaires evaluating the child's externalizing problems and CU traits. Findings showed that CU traits were associated with lower verbal comprehension scores after also controlling for gender, age, externalizing problems, and the other WISC-IV indexes. In addition, CU traits and externalizing problems did not interact in predicting the WISC-IV indexes, and there were no significant differences in the WISC-IV indexes between children with CU traits and high vs. low externalizing problems. The current study suggests the relevance of assessing and addressing verbal abilities in children with behavioral problems and CU traits.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Valentina Levantini
- Department of Languages and Literatures, Communication, Education and Society, University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy
| | - Irene Mammarella
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padova, 35122 Padua, Italy
| | | | | | - Alessia Petrucci
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padova, 35122 Padua, Italy
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25
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Frick PJ. Some critical considerations in applying the construct of psychopathy to research and classification of childhood disruptive behavior disorders. Clin Psychol Rev 2022; 96:102188. [PMID: 35878505 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2022.102188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
The recent inclusion of callous-unemotional traits in the diagnostic criteria for serious conduct problems has led to renewed interest in more comprehensive integrations of the construct of psychopathy into research and clinical classification of childhood disruptive behavior disorders. There have been a number of recent reviews of research focusing the many potential benefits for this integration. However, there are also a number of issues that could reduce these benefits and even potentially lead to harmful effects. The current paper focuses on several of these issues, some of which are common when attempting to integrate research findings across areas that have been conducted independently of each other. Other issues are more specific to the construct of psychopathy. Specifically, the current paper focuses on the lack of agreement on the necessary and sufficient dimensions needed to define psychopathy, the need to consider developmental relationships among these dimensions, the implications of the different associations among the dimensions of psychopathy with conduct problems in children and adolescents, the need to consider how these dimensions relate to existing constructs used in the classification of disruptive behavior disorders, and the potential harmful effects of labeling something "a dimension of psychopathy". These issues have several clear implications for using the construct of psychopathy to guide research on and diagnostic classification of childhood disruptive behavior disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul J Frick
- Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, USA.
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Matlasz TM, Frick PJ, Clark JE. Understanding the Social Relationships of Youth with Callous-Unemotional Traits Using Peer Nominations. JOURNAL OF CLINICAL CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGY : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL FOR THE SOCIETY OF CLINICAL CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGY, AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION, DIVISION 53 2022; 51:530-542. [PMID: 33125288 DOI: 10.1080/15374416.2020.1823847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The current study investigated the social and interpersonal correlates of callous-unemotional (CU) traits using peer nominations. METHOD Participants (N = 289) were children in Grades 3, 6, and 8 (Mage = 11.47 years, 40.1% male, 64.7% self-identified racial/ethnic minority) from two public school systems in the southern United States. Participants were asked to identify peers they believed fit a number of different characteristics hypothesized to be related to CU traits, in addition to individuals they "liked most" and "liked least." We also obtained self- and teacher ratings of CU traits and parent and teacher ratings of conduct problems (CP). RESULTS Factor analyses extracted three dimensions from peer nominations developed from past research describing social characteristics related to CU traits-being mean and aloof (Mean/Cold), untrustworthy and not nice (Not Nice), and dominant and manipulative (Desire for Dominance). Results indicated that CU traits were significantly associated with fewer "liked most" and greater "liked least" nominations, but not after controlling for CP. In contrast, both CP and CU traits were significantly independently associated with Mean/Cold nominations, and only CU traits were associated with Not Nice nominations when controlling for CP. CONCLUSIONS The findings from the current study suggest that CU traits are largely associated with traditional indices of peer rejection because of their level of CP. However, they contribute independently to perceptions of being mean, aloof, and untrustworthy. Thus, interventions focused on strengthening the social skills of children with elevated CU traits should consider ways to change these negative peer perceptions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Paul J Frick
- Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University
- Institute for Learning Science and Teacher Education, Australian Catholic University
| | - Julia E Clark
- Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University
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Psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-022-03208-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThe current study examined the psychometric properties (factor structure, reliability and validity) of the Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version (PCL:YV; Forth et al., 2003) in Spanish samples of male justice-involved youths between 15 and 22-years old. The PCL:YV was administered to two groups of youths who were incarcerated (n = 62; n = 95) and a sample of youth on probation (n = 122). Confirmatory factor analyses showed acceptable-to-good fit for three- and four-factor models. The four-factor hierarchical model with a second-order higher factor representing the whole psychopathy construct was considered for further analyses. PCL:YV scores showed high internal consistency and inter-rater reliability. Low-to-moderate convergence with other measures of psychopathic traits evinced an adequate convergent validity. Convergent and discriminant validity of the PCL:YV total scores were also confirmed considering several measures of psychopathology and personality traits. Importantly, the differential external correlates of the PCL:YV factors provide support for a multidimensional conceptualization of the psychopathy construct. Altogether, these results reveal adequate psychometric properties of the PCL:YV in Spanish population of justice-involved youths and justifies its use to assess psychopathic traits in this kind of populations.
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Kliem S, Krieg Y, Klatt T, Baier D. Dimensional Latent Structure of Callous-Unemotional Traits in German Adolescents: Results from Taxometric Analyses. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol 2022; 50:771-780. [PMID: 34773521 PMCID: PMC9130161 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-021-00885-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
A large amount of research has addressed the issue of the latent status of psychiatric disorders and related phenomena. We used a new taxometric approach developed by Ruscio to examine the latent status of callous-unemotional (CU) traits in a large representative study of German ninth graders (N = 3,878). Rather than estimating a putative taxon base rate and using that estimate to generate the taxon comparative data, we estimated CCFI profiles with each base rate estimate between 2.5% and 97.5% in increments of 2.5%. Results of different indicator sets clearly suggested a dimensional solution. This finding is consistent with different studies showing the dimensionality of psychopathy in adolescents. In summary, the results of this study point to the need for critical reflection in defining a high-risk-group in the context of CU traits. However, further studies are necessary to substantiate this result in different samples using different measurement approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sören Kliem
- Ernst-Abbe-Hochschule Jena – University of Applied Sciences, Carl-Zeiss-Promenade 2, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Yvonne Krieg
- Criminological Research Institute of Lower Saxony, Hannover, Germany
| | - Thimna Klatt
- University of Applied Sciences for Police and Public Administration in North Rhine-Westphalia, Hagen, Germany
| | - Dirk Baier
- Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Zürich, Switzerland
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Sensitivity to teachers’ punishment and social affiliation with teachers: unique and interactive effects to callous-unemotional traits among preadolescents. JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN PERSONALITY 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jrp.2022.104247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Mota-Rojas D, Monsalve S, Lezama-García K, Mora-Medina P, Domínguez-Oliva A, Ramírez-Necoechea R, Garcia RDCM. Animal Abuse as an Indicator of Domestic Violence: One Health, One Welfare Approach. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12080977. [PMID: 35454224 PMCID: PMC9024712 DOI: 10.3390/ani12080977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
For years now, the importance of animal cruelty has been gaining recognition in the industrialized cities of the West. Animal cruelty encompasses any act that causes a non-human animal unnecessary pain or suffering, including negligence, abandonment, abuse, torture, bestiality, and even theriocide. This represents a red flag for society as a whole because people who commit such acts can escalate violence and direct it to other individuals. Animal cruelty and interpersonal violence—as well as other socially undesirable conduct such as bullying, antisocial personality disorder, rape, and serial murder—are closely related, so timely diagnoses of either one can help prevent acts of aggression. It is necessary, therefore, to analyze and try to understand whether there are early indicators that may help identify potentially violent individuals. It is well known that kids from homes with actual violence in their homes show a high tendency to reproduce such behaviors with both animals and other people. In conclusion, much research and rethinking of the importance of the veterinarian in detecting animal abuse and cruelty is needed to help detect and prevent cases of interpersonal violence that may arise over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Mota-Rojas
- Neurophysiology of Pain, Behavior and Assessment of Welfare in Domestic Animals, DPAA, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM), Mexico City 04960, Mexico; (K.L.-G.); (A.D.-O.); (R.R.-N.)
- Correspondence: (D.M.-R.); (R.d.C.M.G.)
| | - Stefany Monsalve
- Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Programa de Especialización en Bienestar Animal y Etología, Fundación Universitaria Agraria de Colombia, Calle 170 No 54 A 10, Bogotá 111321, Colombia;
- Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Fundación Universitaria San Martín, Carrera 18 No 80 45, Bogotá 110221, Colombia
| | - Karina Lezama-García
- Neurophysiology of Pain, Behavior and Assessment of Welfare in Domestic Animals, DPAA, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM), Mexico City 04960, Mexico; (K.L.-G.); (A.D.-O.); (R.R.-N.)
| | - Patricia Mora-Medina
- Animal Welfare and Behavior Center, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Cuautitlán, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico City 54714, Mexico;
| | - Adriana Domínguez-Oliva
- Neurophysiology of Pain, Behavior and Assessment of Welfare in Domestic Animals, DPAA, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM), Mexico City 04960, Mexico; (K.L.-G.); (A.D.-O.); (R.R.-N.)
| | - Ramiro Ramírez-Necoechea
- Neurophysiology of Pain, Behavior and Assessment of Welfare in Domestic Animals, DPAA, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM), Mexico City 04960, Mexico; (K.L.-G.); (A.D.-O.); (R.R.-N.)
| | - Rita de Cassia Maria Garcia
- Veterinary Medicine of the Collective and Veterinary Social Work, Legal Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba 80060-000, Brazil
- Correspondence: (D.M.-R.); (R.d.C.M.G.)
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Badarnee M, Weiss B, Shouval D, Kreitler S. Motivational disposition towards psychological characteristics of israeli children with inflammatory bowel diseases: A case-control study. J Pediatr Nurs 2022; 62:e131-e138. [PMID: 34465507 DOI: 10.1016/j.pedn.2021.08.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Psychological stress is a general and non-specific factor associated with many health conditions, including Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD). It is related not only to external stressors but also to internal characteristics which enhance patients' vulnerability to stress. PURPOSE To identify specific psychological characteristics of pediatric IBD related to stress. DESIGN AND METHODS A case-control-cohort study that compared the psychological characteristics of 49 patients and 56 comparisons. The psychological characteristics were defined by four belief types - beliefs about self, general beliefs, beliefs about norms, and goals - which refer to a set of specific themes. RESULTS The belief types differentiated between the two groups, and the patients were characterized by six themes: like routines, strive to get others' love, caring about the body and the health, doing things only at their own pace, expressing negative emotion without regulations, and feeling over-identification with others. Patients' likelihood of being characterized by the themes is 2.18 to 2.90 times higher than the comparisons. CONCLUSION Children with IBD are characterized by a set of specific psychological characteristics. These characteristics were discussed mainly concerning generating chronic stress (e.g., over-identification with others) and interpersonal conflicts (e.g., doing things only at their own pace) among the patients. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE It is suggested to healthcare workers to be aware of the specific psychological characteristics of children with IBD, and sensitive to these characteristics during interactions with them. Besides, the characteristics may pave the way for developing a targeted psychological intervention that corresponds specifically to the patients' needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Badarnee
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Israel; The Psycho-Oncology Research Center, The Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Israel; The Latif Mental Health Clinics in Umm Al-Fahim and Shefa-Amr, Israel.
| | - Batia Weiss
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Israel; Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition Unit, Edmond and Lily Safra Children's Hospital, The Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Israel.
| | - Dror Shouval
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Israel; Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition Unit, Edmond and Lily Safra Children's Hospital, The Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Israel.
| | - Shulamith Kreitler
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Israel; The Psycho-Oncology Research Center, The Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Israel.
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Joyner B, Beaver KM. Examining the potential link between child maltreatment and callous-unemotional traits in children and adolescents: A multilevel analysis. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2021; 122:105327. [PMID: 34534846 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2021.105327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Revised: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is a great deal of research indicating that callous-unemotional traits in childhood are among the strongest predictors of adult psychopathy and psychopathic traits. As a result, there has been a recent surge of studies examining potential risk factors that may be related to the development of callous-unemotional traits. OBJECTIVE The current study sought to extend prior research examining potential risk factors for the development of callous-unemotional traits by estimating the extent to which child maltreatment related to callous-unemotional traits in children and adolescents. PARTICIPANTS To do so, the study uses a longitudinal sample of 4579 male and female youths drawn from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW I) across four waves of data. Data collection ran from November 1999 to December 2006. METHODS A series of multilevel random-effects models were estimated in order to examine the association between child maltreatment and callous-unemotional traits. RESULTS The results of the analyses revealed a significant association between child maltreatment and callous-unemotional traits across all the models. Additionally, our models demonstrated that the association between child maltreatment and callous-unemotional traits may be dependent upon the biological sex of the individual with child maltreatment having a stronger effect on males than females (β = 0.15*). CONCLUSIONS Overall, our analyses lend support to prior research examining child maltreatment as a risk factor for the development of callous-unemotional traits in youth. We conclude by discussing the implications of our study and considerations for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bridget Joyner
- College of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Florida State University, 112 S Copeland St, Tallahassee, FL 32304, USA.
| | - Kevin M Beaver
- College of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Florida State University, 112 S Copeland St, Tallahassee, FL 32304, USA; Prince Mishaal bin Majed bin Abdul Aziz Center for Social and Humanities Research, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
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O'Kearney R, Chng RY, Salmon K. Callous-Unemotional Features are Associated with Emotion Recognition Impairments in Young ODD Children with Low but not High Affective Arousal. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 2021; 52:869-879. [PMID: 32996006 DOI: 10.1007/s10578-020-01070-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Despite increasing support for the distinction between primary and secondary variants of callous-unemotional features in children with disruptive behavioural disorders, evidence about whether emotion recognition deficits are only characteristic of primary CU is inconclusive. We tested whether, in young children with Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD; N = 74), level of affective arousal moderated the association between CU and performance on behavioural measures of emotional abilities. The association between CU and emotion recognition abilities was dependent on the child's level of affective arousal with higher CU associated with poorer emotion recognition abilities for ODD children with lower affective arousal (r = - 0.49; p = .007) but not for those with higher levels (r = 0.03; p = .838). Our results replicate recent findings and give support to the notion that the primary CU variant is characterised emotionally by under arousal of affect, low affect dysregulation and impaired emotion recognition abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard O'Kearney
- Research School of Psychology, Australian National University, Canberra, 2601, Australia.
| | - Ren Ying Chng
- Research School of Psychology, Australian National University, Canberra, 2601, Australia
| | - Karen Salmon
- School of Psychology, Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand
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A Comparison of Psychopathic Trait Latent Profiles in Service Members. JOURNAL OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY AND BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENT 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10862-021-09872-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Bidirectional Effects Between Callous-Unemotional Traits and Student-Teacher Relationship Quality Among Middle School Students. JOURNAL OF ABNORMAL CHILD PSYCHOLOGY 2021; 48:277-288. [PMID: 31705349 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-019-00595-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The present study investigated the bidirectional effects between callous-unemotional (i.e., CU) traits, student-teacher relationship quality, and bonds with school. A sample of 301 middle school students (156 girls; M age = 12.96 years, SD = 0.94) completed the Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits and the Student-Teacher Relationship Questionnaire, along with measures of both externalizing and internalizing problems, both in the first and second part of the school year (i.e., a time frame of 6 months). They also completed a peer-nominated measure of social preference within their peer group at the beginning of the school year. Results from a cross-lagged panel model suggested that, controlling for measures of both externalizing and internalizing problems, levels of affiliation with teachers were negatively related to levels of CU traits in students with low levels of social preference among peers. Moreover, a synergistic effect of high levels of both bonds with school and social preference emerged in predicting lower levels of CU traits. Similar results emerged with regard to externalizing problems, over and above the role of CU traits and internalizing problems. No effects of CU traits predicting student-teacher relationship quality emerged. Overall, the findings highlighted the teachers' role as emotion socializers and role models for the students who can promote students' emotional and relational prosperity over the development of maladaptive outcomes, including CU traits. They also stressed the importance of considering multiple environmental determinants in examining the pathways to CU traits, suggesting the need to integrate and expand previous research on parenting.
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Squillaci M, Benoit V. Role of Callous and Unemotional (CU) Traits on the Development of Youth with Behavioral Disorders: A Systematic Review. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18094712. [PMID: 33925165 PMCID: PMC8125599 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18094712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Numerous studies have shown that youth with behavioral disorders (BD) present an increased risk for developing severe and persistent antisocial behaviors in adulthood. Retrospective research notes that not all children and adolescents follow a negative trajectory and explains this heterogeneity in particular by the severity of CU traits. Our study examines how these traits affect the functioning of children and adolescents with BD. Method: A systematic literature review conducted through various databases and using different keywords made it possible to analyze 52 studies published from 2015 to 2020 that measured the bidirectional effects of CU traits on the functioning of young. Results: Out of the 52 studies, 47 analyzed links between CU traits and neurobiological or mental health, 20 examined family and school contexts, eight focused on social adjustment, 10 on social interactions and 19 measured links with cognitive functioning, especially executive functions. Conclusion: Consistent with previous recommendations in the field, our findings emphasize the importance of assessing the presence of UC traits in early childhood to prevent the emergence of comorbid disorders and to target multimodal (early) interventions to influence the life trajectories of youth with high CU traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myriam Squillaci
- Department of Special Education, University of Fribourg, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
- Correspondence:
| | - Valérie Benoit
- Department of Special Education, University of Teacher Education of State of Vaud, 1014 Lausanne, Switzerland;
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Cardinale EM, Ryan RM, Marsh AA. Maladaptive Fearlessness: An Examination of the Association Between Subjective Fear Experience and Antisocial Behaviors Linked With Callous Unemotional Traits. J Pers Disord 2021; 35:39-56. [PMID: 32985958 DOI: 10.1521/pedi_2020_34_486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The centrality of a fearless temperament as it relates to the construct of psychopathy remains an area of controversy, with some researchers arguing that the relationship between fearless temperament and psychopathy (and associated antisocial behavior) can be explained by shared associations with other core affective and interpersonal traits of psychopathy such as callous-unemotional (CU) traits. The authors investigated real-world subjectively experienced fear in 306 individuals with varying levels of CU traits and antisocial behavior and found that at low levels of subjective fear experience, decreases in subjective fear were associated with greater antisociality. Even after controlling for the positive relationship between CU traits and antisocial behavior, reduced subjectively experienced fear remained a significant predictor of antisocial behavior. These results provide evidence that experienced fear is related to antisocial behavior at lower than average levels of subjectively experienced fear and that this relationship persists after controlling for CU traits.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Abigail A Marsh
- Department of Psychology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC
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Domínguez-Álvarez B, Romero E, López-Romero L, Isdahl-Troye A, Wagner NJ, Waller R. A Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Test of the Low Sensitivity to Threat and Affiliative Reward (STAR) Model of Callous-Unemotional Traits Among Spanish Preschoolers. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol 2021; 49:877-889. [PMID: 33624154 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-021-00785-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/07/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Despite advances in the theoretical and empirical literature, a better understanding of the etiological determinants of callous-unemotional (CU) traits is needed. In this study, we tested the hypotheses advanced by the Sensitivity to Threat and Affiliative Reward (STAR) model, a theoretical framework, which proposes that individual differences in two temperament dimensions, fearlessness and low affiliation, jointly contribute to the development of CU traits. Specifically, we examined the unique and interactive effects of fearlessness and low affiliation on CU traits, both cross-sectionally and longitudinally and within and across informants (teachers and parents) in a large community sample of Spanish preschoolers (N = 2467, 48.1% girls, M = 4.25 years; SD = 0.91). Both fearlessness and low affiliation were independently related to higher CU traits across models. Consistent with the purported relationships outlined in the STAR model, we also found that a significant interaction between fearlessness and low affiliation explained unique variance in CU traits. The results suggested that main and interactive effects were specific to CU traits and not to other related dimensions of psychopathic traits that are measurable in early childhood (i.e. grandiose-deceitfulness and impulse need of stimulation). Thus, we provide new empirical support to the hypotheses generated by the STAR model in relation to the development of CU traits. Fearlessness and low affiliation are potential targets of future child-focused interventions to prevent or treat the development of CU traits and childhood conduct problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Domínguez-Álvarez
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Santiago de Compostela, Coruña, Spain.
| | - Estrella Romero
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Santiago de Compostela, Coruña, Spain
| | - Laura López-Romero
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Santiago de Compostela, Coruña, Spain
| | - Aimé Isdahl-Troye
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Santiago de Compostela, Coruña, Spain
| | - Nicholas J Wagner
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, USA
| | - Rebecca Waller
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
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Chen FR, Raine A, Gao Y. Reduced Electrodermal Fear Conditioning and Child Callous-Unemotional Traits. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol 2021; 49:459-469. [PMID: 33404949 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-020-00727-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Diminished fear conditioning is a well-replicated finding in adult psychopathy. In contrast, there is virtually no research on fear conditioning and callous-unemotional (CU) traits in children. This study aimed to fill in this knowledge gap using a sample of predominantly African American children. The sample comprised 446 community-recruited children (mean age = 11.93 years; 52% boys; 82% African Americans). Skin conductance was recorded during a fear conditioning task and a resting task. CU traits were assessed using the Antisocial Processes Screening Device completed by children and their parents, while aggression was measured with the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire-Short Form. Self-report, but not parent-report CU traits were inversely associated with fear conditioning skin conductance response. CU traits from either report source were not associated with skin conductance responding to the aversive stimulus, or with resting skin conductance level. This is the first study documenting an association between CU traits in children and reduced electrodermal fear conditioning. Findings highlight the importance of conditioned negative emotional arousability in CU traits, and lend support to the developmental psychopathology hypothesis that CU traits may result from impaired conscience development. Electrodermal fear conditioning has the potential to be incorporated into treatment protocols for screening and evaluation purpose.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frances R Chen
- Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| | - Adrian Raine
- Departments of Criminology, Psychiatry, and Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Yu Gao
- Department of Psychology, Brooklyn College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
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Golmaryami FN, Vaughan EP, Frick PJ. Callous-unemotional traits and romantic relationships. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2020.110408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Abstract
Childhood conduct disorders, a serious mental health concern, put children at risk for significant mental health problems throughout development. Elevations on callous-unemotional (CU) traits designate a subgroup of youth with conduct disorders who have unique causal processes underlying their problem behavior and are at a particularly high risk for serious impairment relative to others with these disorders. As a result, these traits have recently been integrated into major diagnostic classification systems for conduct disorders. Given that CU traits are partly defined by deficits in empathy, we review research on empathy development in typically developing children and use this research to (a) advance theories on the specific emotional deficits that may be associated with CU traits, (b) explain the severe pattern of aggressive behavior displayed by children with elevated CU traits, and (c) suggest possible ways to enhance prevention and treatment for children with conduct disorders and elevated CU traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul J Frick
- Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803, USA; , .,Institute for Learning Sciences and Teacher Education, Australian Catholic University, Brisbane 4001, Australia
| | - Emily C Kemp
- Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803, USA; ,
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Mapping neural activity patterns to contextualized fearful facial expressions onto callous-unemotional (CU) traits: intersubject representational similarity analysis reveals less variation among high-CU adolescents. PERSONALITY NEUROSCIENCE 2020; 3:e12. [PMID: 33283146 PMCID: PMC7681174 DOI: 10.1017/pen.2020.13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Revised: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Callous-unemotional (CU) traits are early-emerging personality features characterized by deficits in empathy, concern for others, and remorse following social transgressions. One of the interpersonal deficits most consistently associated with CU traits is impaired behavioral and neurophysiological responsiveness to fearful facial expressions. However, the facial expression paradigms traditionally employed in neuroimaging are often ambiguous with respect to the nature of threat (i.e., is the perceiver the threat, or is something else in the environment?). In the present study, 30 adolescents with varying CU traits viewed fearful facial expressions cued to three different contexts ("afraid for you," "afraid of you," "afraid for self") while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Univariate analyses found that mean right amygdala activity during the "afraid for self" context was negatively associated with CU traits. With the goal of disentangling idiosyncratic stimulus-driven neural responses, we employed intersubject representational similarity analysis to link intersubject similarities in multivoxel neural response patterns to contextualized fearful expressions with differential intersubject models of CU traits. Among low-CU adolescents, neural response patterns while viewing fearful faces were most consistently similar early in the visual processing stream and among regions implicated in affective responding, but were more idiosyncratic as emotional face information moved up the cortical processing hierarchy. By contrast, high-CU adolescents' neural response patterns consistently aligned along the entire cortical hierarchy (but diverged among low-CU youths). Observed patterns varied across contexts, suggesting that interpretations of fearful expressions depend to an extent on neural response patterns and are further shaped by levels of CU traits.
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43
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Widom CS, Miller D, Li X, Gordon D, Brzustowicz L. Childhood maltreatment, serotonin transporter gene, and risk for callous and unemotional traits: A prospective investigation. Psychiatry Res 2020; 291:113271. [PMID: 32629297 PMCID: PMC7484357 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Revised: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies have reported associations between the serotonin transporter 5-HTTLPR genotype and antisocial and aggressive traits and between child maltreatment and antisocial traits. However, few studies have examined whether 5-HTTLPR moderates the influence of childhood maltreatment on callous and unemotional traits, a hallmark of psychopathy. Using a prospective cohort design, children with documented cases of maltreatment and matched controls were followed up and interviewed in adulthood. DNA was extracted from blood and saliva (N = 414) and callous-unemotional (CU) traits were assessed. Childhood maltreatment predicted higher CU scores in adulthood, whereas the effect of 5-HTTLPR was not significant. The effect of child maltreatment on CU traits did not differ by genetic risk (high or low activity 5-HTTLPR), whereas controls with the LL genotype had higher CU scores than controls with the SS genotype. Similar results were found for females and White, non-Hispanics, but not for males and Blacks. Variations in 5-HTTLPR did not affect the impact of child maltreatment on CU traits in adulthood. Genetic risk had a stronger effect on adults with lower environmental risk (controls). Having a history of child maltreatment or the LL genotype placed participants at risk for higher levels of callous and unemotional trait scores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cathy Spatz Widom
- Psychology Department, John Jay College and Graduate Center, City University of New York, 524W. 59th Street, New York, NY 10019, USA.
| | - Dana Miller
- Psychology Department, John Jay College, City University of New York, 524W. 59th Street, New York, NY 10019, USA
| | - Xuechen Li
- Psychology Department, John Jay College, City University of New York, 524W. 59th Street, New York, NY 10019, USA
| | - Derek Gordon
- Department of Genetics and Human Genetics Institute, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 145 Bevier Road, Piscataway, NJ, 08854-8082, USA
| | - Linda Brzustowicz
- Department of Genetics and Human Genetics Institute, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 145 Bevier Road, Piscataway, NJ, 08854-8082, USA
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Wilson S, Hopwood CJ, McGue M, Iacono WG. Personality Heterogeneity in Adolescents With Disruptive Behavior Disorders 1. JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN PERSONALITY 2020; 82. [PMID: 32831425 DOI: 10.1016/j.jrp.2019.103851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
We first confirmed adolescents diagnosed with disruptive behavior disorders (oppositional defiant, conduct disorder; n = 158) had lower constraint and higher negative emotionality, and greater psychiatric comorbidity and psychosocial dysfunction, relative to adolescents without (n = 755), in a population-based sample enriched for externalizing psychopathology (mean age = 17.90 years; 52% female). We then explored whether different personality types, defined by patterns of personality identified via latent profile analysis, were differently associated with clinical features in adolescents with a disruptive behavior disorder diagnosis. Four distinct personality types ("disinhibited," "high distress," "low distress," "positive") were meaningfully different from one another. Results highlight personality heterogeneity as a means of identifying individuals at greatest risk for the most deleterious forms of externalizing psychopathology.
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Walker TM, Frick PJ, Matlasz TM, Robertson EL, Mikolajewski AJ, Mitchell C, Lopez-Duran N, Monk C, Hyde LW. Psychometric Properties of a Semistructured Interview to Assess Limited Prosocial Emotions. Assessment 2020; 28:1755-1764. [PMID: 32772862 DOI: 10.1177/1073191120947796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Callous-unemotional (CU) traits have recently been added to the diagnostic criteria of Conduct Disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fifth edition and of conduct-dissocial and oppositional defiant disorders in the International Classification of Disease-Eleventh edition as the limited prosocial emotions specifier. This change necessitates the assessment of these traits with validated measures in both research and clinical contexts. The current study sought to validate a semi-structured diagnostic interview method, the Michigan Limited Prosocial Emotion Addendum (M-LPE) to the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children-Present and Lifetime Version, of assessing CU traits based on a recently developed clinician rating system (Clinical Assessment of Prosocial Emotions, Version 1.1) in a sample of at-risk youth. Results supported the interrater reliability of the M-LPE with moderate agreement and high reliability between raters. The M-LPE demonstrated convergent and incremental validity with CU traits and various measures of antisocial behavior. The results provide preliminary evidence for the use of a semi-structured interview assessment of CU traits in research contexts and build the foundation for further validation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Paul J Frick
- Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.,Australian Catholic University, North Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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Yu Y, Yang L, Sun Y, Jin C, Zhang Y. Intervention on Externalizing Problems of Undercontrolled Personality Types in Primary School Students. Front Psychol 2020; 11:1233. [PMID: 32714227 PMCID: PMC7344270 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Three personality types (resilient, overcontrolled, and undercontrolled) have been repeatedly verified across different languages and cultures, different personality models, and different stages of development. Undercontrollers are socially maladapted types with high impulsivity and low self-control. Research shows they are at risk for externalizing problems, such as aggressiveness, impulsivity, and antisocial behavior. The aim of this study was to develop an intervention to reduce externalizing problems of undercontrolled personality types in primary school students. Participants were 69 undercontrolled primary school students from two primary schools in North China. The experimental group underwent 14 weeks of systematic experiential mental health activities, while the control group performed typical daily classroom activities. Personality and externalizing problem behaviors were measured before the intervention, at the end of the intervention, and 4 months post-intervention. The results showed that the intervention significantly reduced the level of externalizing problems of undercontrolled primary school students. The effects of the intervention were maintained at the 4-month follow-up. This study provides some reference and suggestions on how to intervene in the externalizing problem behaviors of undercontrolled primary school students.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongjin Yu
- School of Philosophy and Sociology, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Lizhu Yang
- College of Psychology, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, China
| | - Yan Sun
- College of Psychology, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, China
| | | | - Ying Zhang
- Shidao Street Primary School, Dalian, China
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Koutsogiorgi CC, Lordos A, Fanti KA, Michaelides MP. Factorial Structure and Nomological Network of the Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits Accounting for Item Keying Variance. J Pers Assess 2020; 103:312-323. [PMID: 32496826 DOI: 10.1080/00223891.2020.1769112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
The factorial structure of the Inventory of Callous Unemotional Traits (ICU) is currently under dispute. The present study aims to test the factorial structure of a Greek adaptation of the ICU by considering item keying variance and examining alternative theoretical and empirically derived models. Additionally, it aims to investigate the nomological network of the ICU subscales, after controlling for item keying variance. The sample consisted of 1536 Greek-Cypriot adolescents, who completed a battery of questionnaires, including the ICU. Results showed that the consideration of item keying variance improved the overall fit of all the examined models and led to significant changes in the predictive validity of the subscales, while method factors presented distinct patterns of associations with external variables. Overall, results suggest that ICU is contaminated by item keying variance, which can be filtered out to provide clinically useful insight into the factorial structure of the ICU.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Kostas A Fanti
- Department of Psychology, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
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48
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Preston OC, Gillen CTA, Anestis JC, Charles NE, Barry CT. The Validity of the Personality Assessment Inventory-Adolescent in Assessing Callous-Unemotional Traits in At-Risk Adolescents. J Pers Assess 2020; 103:48-56. [PMID: 31899957 DOI: 10.1080/00223891.2019.1705462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
This study examines the validity of the Personality Assessment Inventory-Adolescent (PAI-A; Morey) in assessing callous-unemotional (CU) traits within two independent samples of at-risk adolescents from a residential intervention program. The study tests the extent to which CU traits are represented within PAI-A scales with respect to empirically- or theoretically-related indicators, such as antisociality, aggression, low warmth, low social connectedness, and subdued internalizing psychopathology. The PAI-A substantive scales statistically accounted for an average of 55.0% of the variance in total scores on the Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits (ICU; Frick) across samples. Broadly, PAI-A substantive scales evinced theoretically-consistent relations with CU traits. Consistent with expectations, CU traits were broadly related to PAI-A-assessed constructs of antisocial features, aggression, low warmth and social disconnection, but not to subdued internalizing symptoms. Moreover, some of the PAI-A clinical, treatment consideration, and interpersonal scales or subscales demonstrated differential relations across the traits. Implications for assessment of CU traits using the PAI framework are discussed. Overall, this research adds to the literature on CU traits in broadband personality assessment and provides a foundation for future research on CU traits using the PAI-A.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Joye C Anestis
- School of Psychology, The University of Southern Mississippi
| | - Nora E Charles
- School of Psychology, The University of Southern Mississippi
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Centifanti LC, Shaw H, Atherton KJ, Thomson ND, MacLellan S, Frick PJ. CAPE for measuring callous-unemotional traits in disadvantaged families: a cross-sectional validation study. F1000Res 2019; 8:1027. [PMID: 32185018 PMCID: PMC7059787 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.19605.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Callous-unemotional (CU) traits are important for designating a distinct subgroup of children and adolescents with behaviour problems. As a result, CU traits are now used to form the specifier "with Limited Prosocial Emotions" that is part of the diagnostic criteria for the Conduct Disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5 th Edition (DSM-5) and International Classification of Diseases 11 th Revision (ICD-11). Given this inclusion in major classification systems, it is important to develop and test methods for assessing these traits that can be used in clinical settings. The present study aimed to validate a clinician rating of CU traits, the Clinical Assessment of Prosocial Emotions, Version 1.1 (CAPE 1.1), in a sample of hard-to-reach families referred to a government program designed to prevent the development of behaviour problems in high risk families. Methods: Clinical ratings of children were obtained from 34 families of children ages 3 to 19 (M=12.2; SD=4.3). The ratings on the CAPE 1.1 were based on interviews with both parent and child. Results : Of the sample, 21% (100% male) met the diagnostic cut-off for the specifier according to the CAPE 1.1, and CAPE 1.1 scores were associated with parent ratings of CU traits, psychopathic traits, and externalising behaviours. CAPE 1.1 ratings were also associated with risk for violence obtained from case files. Conclusions: These findings provide preliminary evidence for the validity of the CAPE 1.1 as clinician rated measure of CU traits.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hannah Shaw
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | | | - Nicholas D. Thomson
- Department of Surgery Division of Acute Care Surgical Services, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, USA
| | | | - Paul J. Frick
- Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, USA
- Institute for Learning Sciences and Teacher Education, Australian Catholic University, Sydney, Australia
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50
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Centifanti LC, Shaw H, Atherton KJ, Thomson ND, MacLellan S, Frick PJ. CAPE for measuring callous-unemotional traits in disadvantaged families: a cross-sectional validation study. F1000Res 2019; 8:1027. [PMID: 32185018 PMCID: PMC7059787 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.19605.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Callous-unemotional (CU) traits are important for designating a distinct subgroup of children and adolescents with behaviour problems. As a result, CU traits are now used to form the specifier "with Limited Prosocial Emotions" that is part of the diagnostic criteria for the Conduct Disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5 th Edition (DSM-5) and International Classification of Diseases 11 th Revision (ICD-11). Given this inclusion in major classification systems, it is important to develop and test methods for assessing these traits that can be used in clinical settings. The present study aimed to validate a clinician rating of CU traits, the Clinical Assessment of Prosocial Emotions, Version 1.1 (CAPE 1.1), in a sample of hard-to-reach families referred to a government program designed to prevent the development of behaviour problems in high risk families. Methods: Clinical ratings of children were obtained from 34 families of children ages 5 to 18 (M=13.5; SD=3.2). The ratings on the CAPE 1.1 were based on interviews with both parent and child. Results: Of the sample, 21% (100% male) met the diagnostic cut-off for the specifier according to the CAPE 1.1, and CAPE 1.1 scores were associated with parent ratings of CU traits, psychopathic traits, and externalising behaviours. CAPE 1.1 ratings were also associated with risk for violence obtained from case files. Conclusions: These findings provide preliminary evidence for the validity of the CAPE 1.1 as clinician rated measure of CU traits.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hannah Shaw
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | | | - Nicholas D. Thomson
- Department of Surgery Division of Acute Care Surgical Services, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, USA
| | | | - Paul J. Frick
- Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, USA
- Institute for Learning Sciences and Teacher Education, Australian Catholic University, Sydney, Australia
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