Predictors of Developmental Patterns of Callous-Unemotional Behaviors in Preschoolers

• In Event: Externalizing Behavior Problems in Early Childhood: The Role of Parenting Behaviors and Temperament

Abstract

Callous-Unemotional behaviors (CU) in early childhood involve low emotional sensitivity, impaired empathy, a lack of guilt and remorse (Frick, 2009; Waller & Hyde, 2017) and are associated with internalizing and externalizing behavioral problems, such as anxiety, conduct problems and oppositional defiant problems (e.g., Kahn et al., 2012; Essau, Sasagawa, & Frick, 2006). Prior studies have found four distinct classes of developmental trajectories of CU in childhood, adolescence and adulthood (i.e., stable high, increase, decrease, stable low); however, information about CU trajectories during early childhood is lacking. Last, low threat sensitivity and low affiliative reward are theorized as risk factors of CU and may be associated with early trajectories (Waller & Wagner, 2019). The present study investigated latent classes of CU development in preschoolers and examined fearfulness and social engagement as predictors of class membership.

Methods. The sample included 620 children (female: 314; male: 306) participating the Boston University Twin Project. Children were assessed within approximately 1 month of their 3rd, 4th and 5th birthdays. CU was assessed with the Child Behavior Checklist 11/2 – 5 (Achenback & Rescorla, 2000; Willoughby et al., 2011) rated by primary caregivers. Social engagement and fearfulness were assessed by observed behaviors in the laboratory. Unconditional latent class growth model (LCGM) was used to identify the number of classes of CU, followed by separate conditional LCGM models that used fearfulness or social engagement age 3 as predictors of the classes. All models controlled for the nested structure of twin data.

Results. Three distinctive developmental patterns were identified (Figure 1). Approximately 72% of the children showed a pattern of decreasing CU across age; 21% of the children exhibited increases in CU; and 6% of the children displayed high stable levels. Children who decreased CU also started with lower levels of CU. Only fearfulness predicted group membership. Fearfulness was significantly higher in the group of children who decreased in CU as compared to the other groups (F(2, 78.8) = 6.66, p < .01; decrease vs. stable high: t(51) = 3.07, p < .01; decrease vs. increase: t(139) = 2.91, p < .01).

Discussion. Consistent with research with older children, we identified classes of children who were stable high, increasers, decreasers, but we did not find a stable low pattern in our younger sample. In addition, whereas in older children, the most common class was stable-low, in our younger sample decreasers were most common, perhaps signifying normative developmental change across the preschool period. The finding that higher levels of fearfulness were associated with declines in CU across age suggests that children who are less fearful in early childhood are more at risk for CU at later ages. Interventions should focus on fearfulness when assessing the risk of development CU.

Authors

• I-Tzu Hung, Boston University
  Presenting Author

• Jody M. Ganiban, George Washington University

• Kimberly J Saudino, Boston University