Callous/unemotional traits and social-cognitive processes in adjudicated youths.
OBJECTIVE
There seem to be two dimensions associated with psychopathic traits in youths: a callous/unemotional factor (C/U) and an impulsivity/conduct problems factor (I/CP). This study sought to clarify the nature of these two factors and examine their relation with social-cognitive problems in incarcerated adolescents.


METHODS
One hundred sixty-nine male and female adjudicated youths were recruited for participation. Self-report measures and archival data were used to assess psychopathic traits, emotional distress, behavioral dysregulation, social-cognitive processes, and delinquency severity.


RESULTS
Analyses demonstrated that the I/CP factor is associated with increased levels of dysregulated behavior, while the C/U dimension is related to deficits in empathy. The two factors exhibited differential relations with measures of emotional distress and fearfulness. C/U traits were associated with an increased focus on the positive aspects of aggression and a decreased focus on the negative aspects of hostile acts. Findings remained after controlling for demographic characteristics, abuse history, intellectual abilities, and delinquency severity.


CONCLUSIONS
Results provide support for the two-dimensional nature of psychopathy in youths and suggest that C/U traits are associated with lower emotional distress and a specific social information-processing pattern. The potential implications for working with adjudicated youths exhibiting C/U traits are noted.
Pardini
Dustin A
DA
Department of Psychology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, USA.
Lochman
John E
JE
Frick
Paul J
PJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D007174:Disruptive, Impulse Control, and Conduct Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D004644:Emotions; D004645:Empathy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007604:Juvenile Delinquency / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D011329:Prisoners; D012920:Social Behavior Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D012938:Social Perception; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires