Bidirectional Effects between Psychopathic Traits and Conduct Problems in Early ChildhoodExamining Parenting as Potential Mediator

  1. Laura López-Romero 1
  2. Beatriz Domínguez-Álvarez 1
  3. Aimé Isdahl-Troye 1
  4. Estrella Romero 1
  1. 1 Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Revista:
Revista de Psicología Clínica con Niños y Adolescentes

ISSN: 2340-8340

Ano de publicación: 2021

Volume: 8

Número: 2

Páxinas: 5

Tipo: Artigo

Outras publicacións en: Revista de Psicología Clínica con Niños y Adolescentes

Resumo

The association between psychopathic traits and conduct problems has been extensively analyzed, with results showing a significant predictive effect of psychopathic traits on later conduct problems. However, some recent research has evidenced some reversed effects, with early-onset conduct problems also showing a significant effect on psychopathic traits. The present study aimed to examine the longitudinal effects (i.e., autoregressive, direct, and bidirectional) between the three psychopathy dimensions (i.e., interpersonal, affective, and behavioral), and conduct problems in two data collections spanning one year (T1-T2). The potential mediation effect from inconsistent parenting and parental warmth was also analyzed. Data were collected, trough parents’ reports, in a sample of 1.833 children (48.8% girls; Mage = 4.24; SD = 0.92), participating in the ELISA study (Longitudinal Study for a Healthy Childhood). A cross-lagged path analysis with mediation effects was performed in Mplus. Results showed autoregressive, direct and bidirectional effects between psychopathic traits and conduct problems. Hence, whilst T1 conduct problems predicted all psychopathy dimensions in T2, only callous-unemotional and impulsive/need of stimulation traits measured in T1 predicted conduct problems in T2. Finally, some marginal mediation effects from inconsistent parenting and parental warmth were also observed, particularly in the relationship between interpersonal and affective psychopathic traits, and later CP through parental warmth. Current findings provide relevant implications for developmental models of psychopathic traits, as well as for predictive models and preventive strategies on early-onset conduct problems

Referencias bibliográficas

  • Andershed, H. (2010). Stability and change of psychopathic traits: What do we know? In R.T. Salekin, & D.T. Lynam (Eds.), Handbook of child and adolescent psychopathy (pp. 233-250). The Guilford Press.
  • Burke, J. D., Pardini, D.A., & Loeber, R. (2008). Reciprocal relationships between parenting behavior and disruptive psychopathology from childhood through adolescence. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 36, 679-692. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-008-9219-7
  • Calkins, S. D., Blandon, A, Y., Williford, A. P., & Keane, S. P. (2007). Biological, behavioral, and relational levels of resilience in the context of risk for early childhood problems. Development and Psychopathology, 19, 675-700. https://doi.org/10.1017/S095457940700034X
  • Colins, O. F., Andershed, H., Frogner, L., Lopez-Romero, L., Veen, V., & Andershed, A.-K. (2014). A new measure to asess psychopathic personality in children: The Child Problematic Traits Inventory. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 36, 4-21. https://doi.org/10.1007/ s10862-013-9385-y
  • Clerkin, S. Z., Halperin, J. M., Marks, D. J., & Policaro, K. L. (2007). Psychometric properties of the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire-Preschool revision. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 36, 19-28. https://doi.org/10.1080/15374410709336565
  • De la Osa, N., Granero, R., Penelo, E., Domènech, J. M., & Ezpeleta, L. (2014). Psychometric properties of the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire-Preschool review (APQ-Pr) in 3-year-old Spanish preschoolers. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 23, 776-784. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826- 013-9130-5
  • Frick, P. J., Ray, J. V., Thornton, L. C., & Kahn, R. E. (2014a). Can callous-unemotional traits enhance the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of serious conduct problems in children and adolescents? A comprehensive review. Psychological Bulletin, 40, 1-57. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0033076
  • Frogner, L., Andershed, A-K., & Andershed, H. (2018). Psychopathic personality works better than CU traits for predicting fearlessness and ADHD symptoms among children with conduct problems. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 40, 26-39. https://doi.org/10.1007/ s10862-018-9651-0
  • Hawes, D. J., Dadds, M., Frost, A. D. J., & Hasking, P. A. (2011). Do childhood callous–unemotional traits drive change in parenting practices. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 40, 507–518. https://doi.org/10.10 80/15374416.2011.581624
  • Kimonis, E., Briggs, N., Brouwer-French, L., Frick, P., Hawes, D., Bagner, D., ... Dadds, M. (2019). Parent-Child Interaction Therapy Adapted for Preschoolers with Callous-Unemotional Traits: An Open Trial Pilot Study. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 48, S347-S361. https:// doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2018.1479966
  • López-Romero, L., Colins, O. F., Fanti, K., Salekin, R. T., Romero, E., & Andershed, H. (2020). Testing the predictive and incremental validity of callous-unemotional traits versus the multidimensional psychopathy construct in preschool children. Journal of Criminal Justice. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2020.101744
  • López-Romero, L., Maneiro, L., Colins, O. F., Andershed, H., & Romero, E. (2019). Psychopathic traits in early childhood: Further multi-informant validation of the CPTI. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 41, 366-374. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10862-019-09735-0
  • López-Romero, L., Romero, E., & Villar, P. (2012). Relaciones entre estilos educativos parentales y rasgos psicopáticos en la infancia [Relationships among parenting styles and psychopathic traits in childhood]. Behavioral Psychology, 20, 603-623.
  • Lykken, D. T. (2006). Psychopathic personality: The scope of the problem. In C. Patrick (Ed.), Handbook of psychopathy (pp. 3-13). The Guilford Press.
  • Lynam, D. R., Caspi, A., Moffitt, T. E., Loeber, R., & Stouthamer-Loeber, M. (2007). Longitudinal evidence that psychopathy scores in early adolescence predict adult psychopathy. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 116, 155-165. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-843X.116.1.155
  • Martel, M. M., Levinson, C. A., Lee, C. A., & Smith, T. E. (2017). Impulsivity symptoms as core to the developmental externalizing spectrum. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 45, 83-90. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802- 016-0148-6
  • McDonald, R., Dodson, M. C., Rosenfield, D., & Jouriles, E. N. (2011). Effects of a parenting intervention on features of psychopathy in children. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 39, 1013–1023. https://doi.org/10.1007/ s10802-9512-8
  • Mills-Koonce, W. R., Willoughby, M. T., Garrett-Peters, P., Wagner, N., Vernon-Feagans, L., & Family Life Project Key Investigators (2016). The interplay among socioeconomic status, household chaos, and parenting in the prediction of child conduct problems and callous-unemotional behaviors. Development and Psychopathology, 28, 757–771. https://doi. org/10.1017/S0954579416000298
  • Odgers, D. L., Moffitt, T. E., Broadbent, J. M., Dickson, N., Hancox, R. J., Harrington, H., . . . Caspi, A. (2008). Female and male antisocial trajectories: From childhood origins to adult outcomes. Development & Psychopathology, 20, 673-761. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579408000333
  • Pardini, D. A., Lochman, J. E., & Powell, N. (2007). The development of callous-unemotional traits and antisocial behavior in children: Are there shared and/or unique predictors? Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 36, 319-333. https://doi.org/10.1080/15374410701444215
  • Paterson, G., & Sanson, A. (1999). The association of behavioural adjustment to temperament, parenting and family characteristics among 5-year-old children. Social Development, 8 (3), 293–309. https://doi. org/10.1111/1467-9507.00097
  • Patterson, G. R. (1982). Coercive family process. Castalia. Salekin, R. T. (2016). Psychopathy in childhood: Toward better informing the
  • Servera, M., Seijas, R., García-Banda, G., Barry, C. T., Beauchaine, T. P., & Burns, G. L. (2020). Longitudinal associations of callous-unemotional and oppositional defiant behaviors over a three-year interval for Spanish children. Development and Psychopathology, 32(2), 481–490. https://doi. org/10.1017/S0954579419000221
  • Tuvblad, C., Bezdjian, S., Raine, A., & Baker, L. A. (2013). Psychopathic Personality and Negative Parent-to-Child Affect: A Longitudinal Cross-lag Twin Study. Journal of Criminal Justice, 41, 331-341. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. jcrimjus.2013.07.001
  • Zubrick, S.R., Lucas, N., Westrupp, E. M., & Nicholson, J. M. (2014). Parenting measures in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children: Construct validity and measurement quality, Waves 1 to 4. Department of Social Services.
  • Viding, E., & McCrory, E. J. (2012). Why should we care about measuring callous-unemotional traits in children? The British Journal of Psychiatry, 200, 177-178. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.bp.111.099770
  • Waller, R., Gardner, F., & Hyde, L. (2013). What are the associations between parenting, callous-unemotional traits, and antisocial behavior in youth? A systematic review of the evidence. Clinical Psychology Review, 33, 593-608. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2013.03.001
  • Waller, R., Gardner, F., Hyde, L. W., Shaw, D. S., Dishion, T. J., & Wilson, M. N. (2012). Do harsh and positive parenting predict parent reports of deceitful-callous behavior in early childhood? Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry, 53, 946-953. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.2012.02550.x
  • Waller, R., Gardner, F., Viding, E., Shawn, D. S., Dishion, T. J., Wilson, M. N., & Hyde, L. W. (2014). Bidirectional associations between parental warmth, callous-unemotional behavior, and behavior problems in high-risk preschoolers. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 42, 1275-1285. https:// doi.org/10.1007/s10802-014-9871-z
  • Waller, R., & Hyde, L. W. (2018). Callous-unemotional behaviors in early childhood: the development of empathy and prosociality gone awry. Current Opinion in Psychology, 20, 11–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. copsyc.2017.07.037