title: Callous-Unemotional Traits as Markers for Conduct Problem Severity in Early Childhood: A Meta-analysis.
abstract: Extensive research has shown that callous-unemotional (CU) traits in middle-childhood and adolescence are markers for a particularly severe and chronic pattern of antisocial behavior (Frick et al. in Psychol Bull 140:1-57, 2014). Comparatively little, however, is known about the relationship between CU traits and antisocial behavior in early childhood. A meta-analysis of k = 10 studies comprising n = 5731 participants was conducted to examine the relationship between CU traits and conduct problem severity prior to 5 years of age. Overall, a significant positive relationship was found between CU traits and conduct problem severity, in the order of large effect size (r = .39, p < .001). Moderator analyses revealed that this relationship differed based on use of same versus different informant across measures, but was consistent across sex and sample type (at-risk/clinic referred or community). This supports the view that CU traits represent a potentially informative focus for clinical assessment in early childhood.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
authors.forename: Thea
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Longman
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia. david.hawes@sydney.edu.au.
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Hawes
authors.affiliation: Karitane, Sydney South West Area Health Service, PO Box 241, Villawood, NSW, 2163, Australia.
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kohlhoff
mesh_terms: D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019955:Conduct Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male
keywords: Callous–unemotional traits; Conduct problems; Early childhood; Meta-analysis