Waller Rebecca, Hyde Luke W, Grabell Adam S, Alves Martha L, Olson Sheryl L
Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2015 Jun;56(6):657-66. doi: 10.1111/jcpp.12326. Epub 2014 Sep 24.
Early-starting child conduct problems (CP) are linked to the development of persistent antisocial behavior. Researchers have theorized multiple pathways to CP and that CP comprise separable domains, marked by callous-unemotional (CU) behavior, oppositional behavior, or ADHD symptoms. However, a lack of empirical evidence exists from studies that have examined whether there are unique correlates of these domains.
We examined differential correlates of CU, oppositional, and ADHD behaviors during the preschool years to test their potentially distinct nomological networks. Multimethod data, including parent and teacher reports and observations of child behavior, were drawn from a prospective, longitudinal study of children assessed at age 3 and age 6 (N = 240; 48% female).
Dimensions of CU, oppositional, and ADHD behaviors were separable within Confirmatory Factor Analyses across mother and father reports. There were differential associations between CU, oppositional, and ADHD behaviors and socioemotional, cognitive, and behavioral outcomes: CU behavior was uniquely related to lower moral regulation, guilt, and empathy. ADHD was uniquely related to lower attentional focusing and observed effortful control. Finally, CU behavior uniquely predicted increases in teacher-reported externalizing from ages 3-6 over and above covariates, and ADHD and oppositional behavior.
Consistent with theory, dimensions of CU, ADHD, and oppositional behavior demonstrated separable nomological networks representing separable facets within early-starting CP.
儿童早期出现的行为问题（CP）与持续性反社会行为的发展有关。研究人员提出了多种导致CP的途径，并且CP包含可分离的领域，其特征为冷漠无情（CU）行为、对立行为或注意力缺陷多动障碍（ADHD）症状。然而，对于这些领域是否存在独特的相关因素，缺乏实证研究证据。
我们研究了学前阶段CU、对立和ADHD行为的差异相关因素，以检验它们潜在的不同法则网络。多方法数据，包括家长和教师报告以及对儿童行为的观察，来自一项对3岁和6岁儿童进行评估的前瞻性纵向研究（N = 240；48%为女性）。
在验证性因素分析中，CU、对立和ADHD行为维度在父母报告中是可分离的。CU、对立和ADHD行为与社会情感、认知和行为结果之间存在差异关联：CU行为与较低的道德调节、内疚感和同理心独特相关。ADHD与较低的注意力集中和观察到的努力控制独特相关。最后，CU行为独特地预测了教师报告的3至6岁外化行为在控制协变量、ADHD和对立行为之外的增加。
与理论一致，CU、ADHD和对立行为维度展示了可分离的法则网络，代表了早期出现的CP中的可分离方面。
