Sanchez Carlos R, Dennis Victoria E, Cooley John L, Sims Jenna G, Streicher Brooke E, Schmidt Adam T
Department of Psychological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Box 42051, Lubbock, TX, 79409-2051, USA.
Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol. 2025 Feb;53(2):247-259. doi: 10.1007/s10802-024-01272-z. Epub 2024 Nov 20.
Existing research on callous-unemotional (CU) traits and conduct problems primarily focuses on the concurrent or unidirectional associations between these constructs (i.e., from CU traits to CP), with less attention given to their dynamic interplay during middle childhood. It is possible that socialization agents, such as peers, play a significant role in shaping the dynamic relation between CU traits and conduct problems early in development. Additionally, prior studies have shown that both CU traits and conduct problems are associated with poorer peer functioning. Considering the social information processing theory, which emphasizes the impact of cognitive processes on emotions and behavior in youth, this study evaluated the moderating role of cognitive appraisals (i.e., rumination, self-blame, and other-blame) in the context of peer conflict on the bidirectional association between callous-unemotional (CU) traits and conduct problems over the course of 1 academic year. The sample included 349 third- through fifth-grade students (51% boys; 53.2% Hispanic/Latinx) and their homeroom teachers (n = 30). At Time 1, children reported on their cognitive appraisals in response to peer conflict. Teachers provided reports of children's CU traits and conduct problems at Time 1 and Time 2. Results indicated that conduct problems and other-blame uniquely predicted increases in CU traits over time. Further, high levels of self-blame and rumination exacerbated the prospective link from CU traits to subsequent conduct problems. These findings highlight the importance of addressing cognitive processes in prevention approaches aimed at reducing the risk of conduct problems and CU traits among children.
现有关于冷酷无情（CU）特质与行为问题的研究主要聚焦于这些构念之间的并发或单向关联（即从CU特质到行为问题），而较少关注它们在童年中期的动态相互作用。社会化主体，如同伴，可能在发展早期塑造CU特质与行为问题之间的动态关系中发挥重要作用。此外，先前的研究表明，CU特质和行为问题都与较差的同伴功能相关。考虑到强调认知过程对青少年情绪和行为影响的社会信息加工理论，本研究评估了在同伴冲突情境下认知评估（即沉思、自责和归咎他人）对冷酷无情（CU）特质与行为问题在1个学年期间双向关联的调节作用。样本包括349名三至五年级学生（51%为男孩；53.2%为西班牙裔/拉丁裔）及其班主任（n = 30）。在时间1，孩子们报告了他们对同伴冲突的认知评估。教师提供了孩子们在时间1和时间2的CU特质及行为问题报告。结果表明，行为问题和归咎他人独特地预测了CU特质随时间的增加。此外，高水平的自责和沉思加剧了从CU特质到后续行为问题的前瞻性联系。这些发现凸显了在旨在降低儿童行为问题和CU特质风险的预防方法中解决认知过程的重要性。
