Background: Developing a well-adept social competence in preschool years is considered important and seems to play a pivotal role in later social functioning like school readiness and academic competence. Due to the individual development in children, establishing potential early markers of early social problems has been difficult. Although parent, peer, and contextual factors may be important to children’s development of social competence, the present study addressed the range of individual differences in children that may facilitate or impede social skills development. Method: The paper is based on data from the comprehensive longitudinal Trondheim Early Secure Study (TESS) of a screen-stratified community sample of 2475 children who were assessed at 4 year of age (T1) and followed up at the age of 6 (T2) (n=797). General linear modeling weighting data back to yield true population estimates of the predictive value of Social Competence, Gender, Negative Affectivity, Surgency, Effortful Control, Inattention, Hyperactivity, Impulsivity, Peer Problems, Disorganized Attachment and Callous-Unemotional traits assessed at T1 in predicting Social Competence at T2, when adjusting for Social Competence at T1. Results: Analysis indicates that Social Competence, Surgency, Inattention, Peer Problems high levels of Callous-Unemotional traits and Disorganization were unique predictors of Social Competence when adjusting for all variables. Negative Affectivity failed to predict Social Competence. Conclusions: Beyond a sizable continuity in social competence a range of child characteristics may enhance social skills development in young children . The identification of such child factors, when controlling for other potential factors, may inform health promotion efforts towards increasing young children’s social competence.

The current study investigated relationships between youth offending, family factors, and personality factors. As a follow-up study to McLoughlin et al, one of the primary focus of this study was to examine whether callous-unemotional traits and aggression could predict offending. The second primary focus of this study was to determine whether family factors also predict offending in combination with callous-unemotional traits and aggression. Police records of 126 youths were obtained, and these were analysed along with the responses that were collected in the previous years during 2007-2010. Several theories involving crime and family factors were also addressed. The results revealed that callous-unemotional trait and aggression were both related to offending. Family factors, particularly ones related to parenting were correlated with youth offending and antisocial behavioural traits.

Community-based youth non-profit organizations (NPOs) have become increasingly popular for the provision of youth prevention and intervention services, yet many youth NPOs lack the resources to undergo formal evaluation. Further, most existing program evaluations do not consider individual characteristics of the child or the child’s exposure to stressors. The current pilot study sought to evaluate the extent to which boys participated in 1:1 mentoring and other program activities at the Son of a Saint (SOAS) NPO, an organization seeking to provide positive male role models for fatherless young boys. In addition, the current study examined the effects of program involvement on both prosocial (i.e., academic performance) and antisocial (i.e., aggression and delinquency) outcomes, as well as the moderating role of callous-unemotional (CU) traits and exposure to trauma/stressors on study outcomes. Data were collected from mothers (N = 37) and boys (N = 27) at the first assessment point, and from mothers (N = 21) one year later. Results of bivariate correlational and regression analyses at T1 indicated that boys who have been part of SOAS for shorter durations had higher levels of participation overall, and that behavioral/academic problems were associated with more program participation. Results at T2 indicated that participation in a greater variety of activities was related to lower levels of antisocial behavior. No significant interactions were detected for either CU traits or trauma exposure in the current sample. Implications of findings are discussed with regard to future program evaluation at SOAS. Detailed recommendations for overcoming the study limitations, particularly regarding the small sample size, are provided.

Ce présent mémoire a pour objectif de décrire les traits d’insensibilité émotionnelle (TIÉ) chez les enfants d’âge préscolaire (p. ex., manque d’empathie, faible sentiment de culpabilité). Parmi les études existant sur les TIÉ auprès des jeunes, la majorité porte sur les adolescents ou les enfants d’âge scolaire. Les connaissances concernant les TIÉ à l’âge préscolaire sont limitées. Afin de contrer cette limite, 15 familles ayant un enfant âgé de 4 ans (moyenne : 4,61 ans, écart-type : 0,23) ont été recrutées aux fins de la présente étude. La mise en œuvre de ce projet s’est réalisée selon une approche qualitative, plus précisément par des entretiens semi-directifs menés auprès des parents et des éducatrices des enfants en milieu de garde ainsi que par l’observation des enfants dans leur milieu familial et leur milieu de garde. Quatre groupes d’enfants ont été créés selon leur degré de troubles du comportement (TC) (p. ex., agression physique) et de TIÉ : enfants ayant un degré élevé de TIÉ seulement (TIÉ+; n = 3), enfants ayant des TC et des TIÉ élevés (TC+/TIÉ+; n = 4), enfants ayant des TC élevés seulement (TC+; n = 2) ainsi que des enfants ayant des TC et des TIÉ à un degré moindre (TC-/TIÉ-; n = 6). Les résultats ont été regroupés selon cinq thèmes : remords et culpabilité, empathie, souci à l’égard de la performance, sphère affective et gestion des émotions, découlant des critères d’une spécification du trouble des conduites, inclus dans le DSM-V (American Psychiatric Association, 2013) ainsi qu’un aspect supplémentaire, soit le comportement général de l’enfant. Nos résultats suggèrent que les enfants des groupes TIÉ+ et TC+/TIÉ+ semblent se distinguer des enfants des autres groupes sur la base de la notion de persévérance face à aux difficultés, issue du thème souci à l’égard de la performance. Un plus grand nombre de distinctions ont pu être observées chez les enfants du groupe TC+/TIÉ+, telles que des difficultés dans la sphère affective et gestion des émotions, le comportement général de l’enfant ainsi que selon le thème remords et culpabilité. De plus, ces enfants ne semblent pas modifier leurs comportements à la suite de méthodes disciplinaires à leur égard, et ce, principalement dans leur milieu familial. Les résultats d’études scientifiques et du présent projet soutiennent l’importance de renforcer les capacités parentales et du lien d’attachement ainsi que de promouvoir les habiletés sociales et les comportements prosociaux chez les enfants présentant des TIÉ. / The aim of this study is to describe callous-unemotional (CU) traits (e.g., lack of empathy or guilt) in preschool-age children. The majority of existing studies focus on teenagers and school-age children. In this study, we recruited 15 families with a four-year-old child (mean age: 4.61 years, standard deviation: 0.23) in an effort to improve knowledge on CU traits in younger children. A qualitative approach was used in implementing this project by conducting semi-structured interviews with the parents and educators of children in childcare. The children were also observed at home and in their childcare environment. The children were divided into four groups according to their levels of CU traits and conduct problems (CP) (e.g., physical aggression): children with high levels of both CP and CU traits (CP+/CU+; n = 4), children with high levels of CP only (CP+; n = 2), children with high levels of CU traits only (CU+; n = 3) and children with low levels of both CP and CU-traits (CP/CU-; n = 6). The data were analysed according to five themes, based on the DSM-V: remorse and guilt, empathy, low concern for performance, affective sphere and emotional regulation (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). The child’s general behavior was also taken into account. The results of this study suggest that children from groups CU+ and CP+/CU+ differed from the other groups on the notion of perseverance to face difficulties resulting from the area of low concern for performance. Moreover, the CP+/CU+ group showed additional difficulties in the following areas: affective sphere, emotional regulation and child’s general behavior as well as remorse and guilt. Children from this group do not easily modify their behavior following disciplinary action, regardless of the methods employed, especially within their home environment. The results from previous studies and this project support the importance of reinforcing parental skills, attachment and the development of social skills and prosocial behaviour in children who exhibit CU traits.

Empathy is a construct that plays a pivotal role in the development of interpersonal relationships, and thus ones ability to function socially and often professionally. The development of empathy in children is therefore of particular interest to allow for further understanding of normative and atypical developmental trajectories. This thesis investigated the assessment of affective empathy in children aged 5-12, through the development and comparison of a multimethod assessment approach. Furthermore this thesis evaluated the differential relationships between affective empathy and global behavioural problems in children versus the presence of early psychopathic traits, such as callous-unemotional traits. The first component of this study incorporated; a measure of facial expression of affective empathy, and self-reported experience of affective empathy, as measured by the newly designed Griffith Empathy Measure - Video Observation (GEM-VO) and the Griffith Empathy Measure - Self Report (GEM-SR); the Bryant's Index of Empathy for Children and Adolescents (1982) which is a traditional child self-report measure; and a newly designed parent-report of child affective empathy (Griffith Empathy Measure - Parent Report; GEM-PR). Using a normative community sample of 211 children from grades 1, 3, 5, and 7 (aged 5-6, 7-8, 9-10, & 11-12, respectively), the GEM-PR and the Bryant were found to have moderate to strong internal consistency. As a measure of concurrent validity, strong positive correlations were found between the mother and father reports (GEM-PR) of their child's affective empathy, for grades 5 and 7, and for girls of all age groups. Using a convenience sample of 31 parents and children aged 5 to 12, the GEM-PR and the Bryant demonstrated strong test-retest reliability. The reliability of the GEM-VO and the GEM-SR were assessed using a convenience sample of 20 children aged 5 to 12. These measures involve the assessment of children's facial and verbal responses to emotionally evocative videotape vignettes. Children were unobtrusively videotaped while they watched the vignettes and their facial expressions were coded. Children were then interviewed to determine the emotions they attributed to stimulus persons and to themselves whilst viewing the material. Adequate to strong test-retest reliability was found for both measures. Using 30% from the larger sample of 211 participants (N=60), the GEM-VO also demonstrated robust inter-rater reliability. This multimethod approach to assessing child affective empathy produced differing age and gender trends. Facial affect as reported by the GEM-VO decreased with age. Similarly, the matching of child facial emotion to the vignette protagonist's facial emotion was higher in the younger grades. These findings suggest that measures that assess the matching of facial affect (i.e., GEM-VO) may be more appropriate for younger age groups who have not yet learnt to conceal their facial expression of emotion. Data from the GEM-SR suggests that older children are more verbally expressive of negative emotions then younger children, with older girls found to be the most verbally expressive of feeling the same emotion as the vignette character; a role more complimentary of the female gender socialization pressures. These findings are also indicative of the increase in emotional vocabulary and self-awareness in older children, supporting the validity of child self-report measures (based on observational stimuli) with older children. In comparing data from the GEM-VO and GEM-SR, this study found that for negative emotions the consistency between facial emotions coded and emotions verbally reported increased with age. This consistency across gender and amongst the older age groups provides encouraging concurrent validity, suggesting the results of one measure could be inferred through the exclusive use of the alternate measurement approach. In contrast, affective empathy as measured by the two measures; the accurate matching of the participant and vignette character's facial expression (GEM-VO), and the accurate matching of the self reported and vignette character's emotion (GEM-SR); were not found to converge. This finding is consistent with prior research and questions the assumption that facially expressed and self-appraised indexes of affective empathy are different aspects of a complex unified process. When evaluating the convergence of all four measures of affective empathy, negative correlations were found between the Bryant and the GEM-PR, these two measures were also found to not converge with the GEM-VO and GEM-SR in a consistent and predictable way. These findings pose the question of whether different aspects of the complex phenomena of affective empathy are being assessed. Furthermore, the validity of the exclusive use of a child self report measure such as the Bryant, which is the standard assessment in the literature, is questioned. The possibility that callous-unemotional traits (CU; a unique subgroup identified in the child psychopathy literature) may account for the mixed findings throughout research regarding the assumption that deficiencies in empathy underlie conduct problems in children, was examined using regression analysis. Using the previous sample of 211 children aged 5-12, conduct problems (CP) were measured using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ; Goodman, 1999), and the CU subscale was used from the Antisocial Process Screening Device (APSD; Caputo, Frick, & Brodsky, 1999). Affective empathy when measured by the GEM-PR and the Bryant showed differing patterns in the relationship between affective empathy, CU traits and CP. While the GEM-Father reported that neither age, CU traits nor CP accounted for affective empathy variance, the GEM-Mother report supported that affective empathy was no longer associated with CP once CU traits had been partialled out. In contrast, the Bryant reported for girls, that CU traits were not found to have an underlying correlational relationship. It can be argued from the GEM-Mother data only that it was the unmeasured variance of CU traits that was accounting for the relationship between CP and affective empathy found in the literature. Furthermore, the comparison of an altered CU subscale with all possible empathy items removed, suggests that the constructs of CU traits and affective empathy are not synonymous or overlapping in nature, but rather are two independent constructs. This multimethod approach highlights the complexity of this research area, exemplifying the significant influence of the source of the reports, and suggesting that affective empathy consists of multiple components that are assessed to differing degrees by the different measurement approaches.

Some children develop externalizing and internalizing behavior problems at an early age. Previous research has often treated these children as a homogeneous group, the purpose of this study is to show that this group of children is in fact heterogeneous. Data from theSOFIAstudy was used and preschool pedagogues were informants. The sample contained 2121 boys and girls between 3-5 years. Groups of children with the behavior problems and the risk factors AD/HD symptoms, fearlessness and callous-unemotional traits were created. What different constellations of the behavior problems and the risk factors are there, and what constellations of risk factors occur in the constellations of behavior problems? Preschool children with externalizing and internalizing problems is a very heterogeneous group since children with the same constellation of behavior problems have different constellations of risk factors, this also shows heterogeneity regarding the risk factors. / Vissa barn utvecklar tidigt externaliserade och internaliserade beteendeproblem. Tidigare forskning har ofta behandlat dessa barn som en homogen grupp, denna studies syfte är att påvisa att dessa barn istället är en heterogen grupp. Data ifrån SOFIA studien användes där förskolepedagoger var informanter. Urvalet var 2121 pojkar och flickor mellan 3-5 år. Grupper av barn med beteendeproblemen och riskfaktorerna AD/HD symptom, oräddhet och brist i empati - flackt känsloliv skapades. Vilka olika konstellationer av beteendeproblemen och riskfaktorerna finns, och vilka konstellationer av riskfaktorerna förekommer i konstellationerna av beteendeproblemen? Förskolebarn med externaliserade och internaliserade problem är en mycket heterogen grupp då barn med samma konstellationer av beteendeproblemen har olika konstellationer av riskfaktorer närvarande, detta påvisar också heterogenitet vad gäller riskfaktorerna.

Les traits d’insensibilité émotionnelle, tels le manque d’empathie, le manque de remords et l’affect superficiel, sont corrélés avec les troubles de comportement chez les jeunes. La recherche suggère que les traits d’insensibilité émotionnelle et les troubles de comportement sont influencés par des facteurs génétiques communs, et pourraient aussi être influencés, du moins en partie, par des facteurs environnementaux communs. Bien que travaux antérieurs suggèrent que les traits d’insensibilité émotionnelle soient positivement (p. ex., hyperactivité) ou négativement (p. ex., anxiété) associés à d’autres symptômes de psychopathologie, les études portant sur les facteurs étiologiques communs aux traits d’insensibilité émotionnelle et ces autres symptômes de psychopathologie sont plus limitées. Objectifs. Nous proposons d’examiner les associations étiologiques entre les traits d’insensibilité émotionnelle et 1) les troubles de comportement, 2) l’hyperactivité, et 3) l’anxiété, à l’aide d’un échantillon de jumeaux. Méthode. Les participants sont 204 paires complètes et 18 paires incomplètes de jumeaux de même sexe (n = 426; 42% filles; 43% MZ; âge = 15 ans) issus du Child and Adolescents Twin Study in Sweden, une étude longitudinale composée de jumeaux suédois. Des mesures auto-révélées ont été utilisées pour évaluer les traits d’insensibilité émotionnelle, les troubles de comportement, l’hyperactivité et l’anxiété. Des modèles d’équations structurelles ont été estimés afin d’évaluer les contributions génétiques et environnementales des traits d’insensibilité émotionnelle ainsi que leur chevauchement étiologique avec les troubles de comportement, l’hyperactivité et l’anxiété. Résultats. Nous avons trouvé une corrélation génétique forte et positive entre les traits d’insensibilité émotionnelle et les troubles de comportement, mais aucune corrélation significative sur le plan des facteurs environnementaux. Nous avons trouvé une corrélation génétique modérée entre les traits d’insensibilité émotionnelle et l’hyperactivité. Nous avons également trouvé une corrélation génétique modeste et négative entre les traits d’insensibilité émotionnelle et l’anxiété. Conclusion. Ces résultats suggèrent l’existence de facteurs génétiques communs expliquant les traits d’insensibilité émotionnelle et les troubles de comportement, plus particulièrement, et dans une moindre mesure les traits d’insensibilité émotionnelle et l’hyperactivité. En outre, les résultats suggèrent que des facteurs génétiques contribuant à la présence de traits d’insensibilité émotionnelle contribueraient aussi à la diminution des symptômes d’anxiété. / Callous-unemotional (CU) traits, such as lack of empathy, lack of guilt and shallow affect, are associated with conduct problems in youth. Research suggests that CU traits and conduct problems share common genetic factors and, possibly environmental factors. Despite evidence for a behavioural association between CU traits and hyperactivity and between CU traits and low anxiety, the etiological associations between these pairs have been considerably less explored. Objectives. Using a twin model-fitting approach, we investigated the etiological associations between CU traits and 1) conduct problems, 2) hyperactivity and 3) anxiety. Method. Participants were 204 complete pairs and 18 incomplete pairs of same-sex twins (n = 426; 42% female; 43% MZ; age = 15) drawn from the Child and Adolescents Twin Study in Sweden, a longitudinal study of twins born in Sweden. CU traits, conduct problems, hyperactivity and anxiety were assessed through self-reports. Structural equation modeling was used to conduct model-fitting analyses. Results. We found a strong positive genetic correlation between CU traits and conduct problems but no significant environmental correlations. We found a moderate genetic correlation between CU traits and hyperactivity. We also found a modest but significant negative genetic correlation between CU traits and anxiety. Conclusion. These findings suggest that common genetic factors explain CU traits and conduct problems, more particularly, and to a lesser extent CU traits and hyperactivity. In addition, these findings suggest that some of the genetic factors contributing to CU traits may also contribute to decreasing levels of anxiety.

No description available.

Les traits d’insensibilité émotionnelle (TIÉ) sont définis comme une constellation de caractéristiques incluant des affects superficiels, le manque de remords et de culpabilité et une réponse empathique réduite aux états affectifs d’autrui. En effet, des associations négatives ont été identifiées entre les TIÉ et différentes formes d’empathie, soit l’empathie motrice, l’empathie affective, et l’empathie cognitive. La plupart des travaux dans ce domaine ont porté sur des échantillons de garçons, de sorte que les connaissances sur le sujet auprès des filles sont limitées. En outre, l’hétérogénéité des personnes ayant des TIÉ n’a pas toujours été considérée dans les travaux antérieurs. L’anxiété a toutefois été proposée comme une caractéristique permettant de distinguer deux variantes des TIÉ, l’une caractérisée par un niveau élevé d’anxiété et l’autre par un niveau faible d’anxiété. Dans cette étude, nous visons à examiner les associations entre les TIÉ et différentes formes d’empathie (motrice, affective et cognitive) auprès d’un échantillon d’adolescentes. Nous visons également à examiner le rôle modérateur de l’anxiété dans ces associations. Notre échantillon est composé d’adolescentes (M = 15,55 ans; É-T = 1,64) issues de la communauté ou suivies dans le cadre de services sociojudiciaires (n = 200). Les résultats indiquent que les TIÉ sont associés à une empathie motrice plus faible, et que l’anxiété ne modère pas cette relation. Les TIÉ sont également associés à une empathie affective plus faible, mais pour cette forme d’empathie, l’anxiété jouerait un rôle modérateur. En effet, à mesure que les scores de TIÉ augmentent, les scores d’empathie affective diminuent, et ce, en particulier lorsque les scores d’anxiété sont faibles. Les analyses effectuées ne permettent pas de tirer de conclusions claires quant aux associations entre les TIÉ et l’empathie cognitive. Enfin, nous abordons le sujet des implications pratiques quant aux stratégies d’intervention découlant de nos travaux et quant aux travaux futurs. / Callous unemotional (CU) traits encompass a range of charact e ristics, such as superficial affects, a lack of remorse , guilt , and reduced empathic response to others' emotional states. Indeed, negative associations have been identified between CU traits and different forms of empathy, namely motor empathy, affective empathy, and cognitive empathy. Most of the research in this f ield has focused on samples of boys, limiting our understanding of the subject regarding girls. Moreover , the heterogeneity among ind ividuals with CU traits has not always been considered in previous studies. Anxiety is often considered as a distinguishing characteristic between two variants of CU traits, one characterized by high anxiety and the other by low anxiety. In this study, we aim to examine the associations between CU traits and various forms of empathy (motor, affective, and co gnitive) in a sample of adolescent girls. We also explore the moderating role of anxiety in these associations. Our sample comprises adolescent girls (M = 15.55 years; SD = 1.64) from the community or involved in socio legal services (n = 200). The results reveal an association between CU traits and a reduced motor empathy, with no moderation effect of anxiety. Additionally, CU traits are associated with a reduced affective empathy, and it appears that anxiety plays a moderating role in this association. As CU traits scores increase, affective empathy scores d ecrease, particularly when anxiety scores are low. The analyses did not lead to any clear conclusi ons regarding the associations between CU traits and cognitive empathy. Finally, we discuss the practical implications of our findings for intervention strategies and future research.

No description available.