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Poster #127 - Developmental Patterning in Children’s Low Concern for Others: Novel Insights Using a Developmentally-Specified Approach

Fri, March 22, 9:45 to 11:00am, Baltimore Convention Center, Floor: Level 1, Exhibit Hall B

Integrative Statement

The origins of pro/antisocial behavior are evident in early life; however, investigations of early onset severe antisocial (“callous”) pathways have lacked a developmental lens. Developmental research often focuses on the presence/absence of concern for others (Hamlin & Wynn, 2011), yet developmental change should be evident across an normal:abnormal spectrum (Wakschlag et al., 2015; Wakschlag et al., 2010). Recent studies utilizing secondary data methods have derived developmental indicators of early callous behavior (Hyde, Waller, et al., 2016) but these are typically based on problem behavior checklist ratings. The present study employs a novel developmentally-specified method using parental report of children’s behavior regarding Low Concern for Others (LC) (Wakschlag et al., 2010). This Multidimensional Assessment Profile of Disruptive Behavior (MAP-DB) survey tool has been validated in >3,000 preschoolers, with atypicality defined as deviation from normative patterns in a population sample (Wakschlag et al., 2018). IRT modeling derived a LC spectrum of behaviors from mild to severe (e.g., from “Not care about others’ feelings when frustrated, angry, or upset” to “Enjoy making others mad”) (Wakschlag et al., 2014;). Longitudinal sampling occurred at 5-timepoints: T0: n=604, M age=4.22-years, range=2.91-5.99; T1: n=390, M age=4.83-years, range=3.10-7.72; T2: n=465, M age=5.54-years, range=3.75-8.45; T3: n=524, M age=7.1-years, range=4.66-10.66; T4: n=260, Mage=7.58-years, range=6.01-10.07;~50% female).

Longitudinal patterns show considerable between- and within-subject variability around a slight downward trend (-.07/SD per year; Figure 1). The developmental pattern of LC over time revealed substantial change: Approximately 44.5% of children showed significant changes in LC levels either by increasing or decreasing by more than 1 population Standard Deviation (SD) across consecutive timepoints (Figure 2). Importantly, this change spans common thresholds for determining abnormality. For example, 32.6% of children exhibited LC levels greater than 1 SD above the mean at least once, yet more than half of those children (108 of 197) were above this threshold at only 1 of the 5-timepoints. For the 6.1% of children with very elevated scores (>2 SD above the mean), nearly three-fourths were above this threshold at only 1-timepoint. Thus, parent-reported LC patterns in young children show substantial variation and suggest developmentally unfolding capacities rather than static traits.

A spotlight on 1-timepoint sheds light on the complexity of these patterns as T1 included a direct observation at preschool age (n=299) via a new LC context of the Disruptive Behavior-Diagnostic Observation Schedule (DB-DOS; Wakschlag et al., 2008). Preliminary results indicate sex differences, with girls exhibiting higher levels of distress during an empathy task (i.e., listening to a baby cry) having less elevated LC, r(152)= -.22, p=.007, whereas this was not evident for boys, r(147)=.08, p=.35.

Thus, behavioral and parent reporting reveal complex developmental patterning of LC over time. Results suggest that nuance is lost when focusing on the presence/absence of low concern and/or considering low concern as a static trait. We argue that individual differences are important to consider when identifying those young children with risk patterns. We will explore these patterns further including the relation of observed behavior to longitudinal change and impairment patterns through early school age.

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