Validation of the Callous-Unemotional Traits Scale from the Achenbach System of Empirically-Based Assessment (ASEBA) Preschool Form in Clinic-Referred Children

• In Event: Poster Session 14
  In Poster Session: PS 14 Topic - Social, Emotional, Personality

Abstract

Callous-Unemotional (CU) traits, also known as Limited Prosocial Emotions in DSM-5, are characterised by a lack of guilt and empathy, being unconcerned about one’s own performance in important activities, and shallow and deficient affect (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). These traits have important clinical utility for identifying a subgroup of antisocial children who present with the most severe, aggressive, and stable conduct problems across time (Frick et al., 2005). These children also show unique cognitive and affective deficits, including punishment insensitivity, poor fear recognition, and low fear experience, that are thought to explain their poorer treatment response to traditional psychological interventions relative to antisocial children without CU traits (Frick et al., 2014; Hawes et al., 2014). Fortunately, some promising interventions targeting the unique needs of antisocial children with CU traits have emerged in recent years (e.g., Kimonis et al., 2019), thus highlighting the need to routinely assess for CU traits to identify children who will benefit from more nuanced intervention. The Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment (ASEBA) Preschool Form, which is one of the most widely used broadband rating scales for childhood psychopathology, includes a five-item CU scale to screen for CU traits in children aged 1.5 to 5 years (Willoughby et al., 2011). The five ASEBA CU items include lacking guilt after misbehaving, punishment insensitivity, unresponsiveness to affection, showing little affection to others, and showing little fear of getting hurt. The primary aim of this study is to test for the first time the validity of scores on this screening measure, providing clinicians and researchers with access to a psychometrically-sound brief measure of CU traits. The current study will evaluate the concurrent, construct, and predictive validity, and internal consistency of scores on the five- and alternative six-item ASEBA CU scale in young clinic-referred children. The alternative six-item ASEBA CU scale includes the additional “Cruel to Animals” ASEBA item, given evidence that such behaviours may be an early manifestation of CU traits (Dadds et al., 2006). ASEBA CU scores were evaluated against criterion variables, including the comprehensive 24-item Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits, and measures of empathy, internalising and externalising problems, and facial emotion recognition on a laboratory task. Participants were 204 clinic-referred boys (78.4%) and girls (Age M = 3.46, SD = 0.89, range = 2 to 5 years) with non-compliant and aggressive behaviour. Results showed that scores on the ASEBA CU scales had adequate internal consistency. As hypothesised, scores on both the five- and six-item ASEBA CU scales were positively correlated with scores on measures of CU traits and conduct problems, negatively correlated with empathy and facial recognition scores, and uncorrelated with internalising problems scores. ASEBA CU scores had incremental utility beyond ICU scores for statistically predicting conduct problems scores and vice versa. Overall, results from this study suggest that the ASEBA CU scale has sound psychometric properties as a brief parent-report screener of CU traits in children as young as 2 years old.

Authors

• Bryan Neo, University of New South Wales
  Presenting Author

• Eva R Kimonis, University of New South Wales
  Non-Presenting Author

• Georgette E. Fleming, University of New South Wales
  Non-Presenting Author

• David J Hawes, University of Sydney
  Non-Presenting Author

• Valsamma Eapen, University of New South Wales
  Non-Presenting Author