title: Children's callous-unemotional traits moderate links between their positive relationships with parents at preschool age and externalizing behavior problems at early school age.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Growing research on children's traits as moderators of links between parenting and developmental outcomes has shown that variations in positivity, warmth, or responsiveness in parent-child relationships are particularly consequential for temperamentally difficult or biologically vulnerable children. But very few studies have addressed the moderating role of children's callous-unemotional (CU) traits, a known serious risk factor for antisocial cascades. We examined children's CU traits as moderators of links between parent-child Mutually Responsive Orientation (MRO) and shared positive affect and future externalizing behavior problems.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants included 100 two-parent community families of normally developing children, followed longitudinally. MRO and shared positive affect in mother-child and father-child dyads were observed in lengthy, diverse naturalistic contexts when children were 38 and 52 months. Both parents rated children's CU traits at 67 months and their externalizing behavior problems (Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Conduct Disorder) at 67, 80, and 100 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Children's CU traits moderated links between early positive parent-child relationships and children's future externalizing behavior problems, even after controlling for strong continuity of those problems. For children with elevated CU traits, higher mother-child MRO and father-child shared positive affect predicted a decrease in mother-reported future behavior problems. There were no significant associations for children with relatively lower CU scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Positive qualities for early relationships, potentially different for mother-child and father-child dyads, can serve as potent factors that decrease probability of antisocial developmental cascades for children who are at risk due to elevated CU traits.
authors: Department of Psychology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, USA.
authors: Grazyna
authors: G
authors: Kochanska
authors: Sanghag
authors: S
authors: Kim
authors: Lea J
authors: LJ
authors: Boldt
authors: Jeung Eun
authors: JE
authors: Yoon
mesh_terms: D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder / Q000523:psychology; D019958:Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019955:Conduct Disorder / Q000523:psychology; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D004645:Empathy / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012307:Risk Factors
keywords: Callous-unemotional traits; externalizing behavior problems; positive parent-child relationships
references: J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2010 Jan;51(1):3-22
references: 19874427
references: J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2008 Apr;49(4):359-75
references: 18221345
references: Dev Psychol. 1997 Mar;33(2):228-40
references: 9147832
references: Dev Psychol. 2007 Jan;43(1):222-37
references: 17201521
references: Child Dev. 1997 Feb;68(1):94-112
references: 9084128
references: Dev Psychol. 2005 Jul;41(4):648-60
references: 16060811
references: Dev Psychol. 2003 Mar;39(2):246-60
references: 12661884
references: Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev. 2011 Sep;14(3):251-301
references: 21461681
references: J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2005 Jan;46(1):19-34
references: 15660641
references: J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2006 Mar-Apr;47(3-4):262-76
references: 16492259
references: J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2011 Dec;52(12):1308-15
references: 21726225
references: J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol. 2002 Dec;31(4):513-24
references: 12402570
references: Dev Psychopathol. 2009 Fall;21(4):1111-31
references: 19825260
references: Dev Psychopathol. 2011 Feb;23(1):7-28
references: 21262036
references: Am Psychol. 1990 Apr;45(4):513-20
references: 2186679
references: Psychol Assess. 2000 Dec;12(4):382-93
references: 11147105
references: J Abnorm Psychol. 2000 May;109(2):335-340
references: 10895572
references: Dev Psychopathol. 2008 Spring;20(2):509-28
references: 18423092
references: J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2008 Feb;49(2):124-31
references: 18211274
references: J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2009 Nov;50(11):1331-8
references: 19207629
references: Child Dev. 2012 Jul-Aug;83(4):1275-89
references: 22670684
references: J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2013 Mar;54(3):323-32
references: 23057713
references: Dev Psychol. 2006 Sep;42(5):833-48
references: 16953690
references: Psychol Bull. 2009 Nov;135(6):885-908
references: 19883141