Longitudinal Associations between Callous-unemotional (CU) Traits and School-based Affiliative Relationships among South Korean Children

Abstract

Objective: Callous-unemotional traits (CU) traits are characterized by low empathy, guilt, and reduced sensitivity to others' feelings, along with a reduced drive for social affiliation. However, little is known about the relationships between CU traits and social affiliation in the school context, or the influence of gender on these associations. This study tested reciprocal associations between CU traits and school-based affiliative relationships and explored gender as a potential moderator. Method: The sample included South Korean children aged 10 to 12 years (N = 218, M = 11.03, SD = .65, 52% boys). Children reported on CU traits, antisocial behavior, teacher-student relationship quality, and peer affiliation. Three-wave longitudinal cross-lagged models tested reciprocal associations between CU traits and affiliation with both teachers and peers, with multi-group modeling employed to test the moderating effect of gender. Results: Higher CU traits at time 1 predicted decreases in teacher affiliation at time 2 controlling for CU traits, teacher-child affiliation, and antisocial behavior at time 1, while lower teacher-child affiliation at time 2 predicted increases in CU traits at time 3 accounting for CU traits, teacherchild affiliation, and antisocial behavior at time 2. However, there were no reciprocal associations between CU traits and teacher affiliation nor significant associations between CU traits and peer affiliation. Gender did not moderate any pathways between CU traits and teacher or peer affiliation. Conclusions: Findings indicate CU traits may reduce teacher-child affiliation, potentially escalating risk for further increases in CU traits. Thus, teacher-child affiliation may represent an important target for school-based intervention for children with elevated CU traits regardless of gender.

Callous-Unemotional Traits and Social Adjustment among Chinese Preschoolers: The Moderating Role of Teacher-Child Relationship

“…Previous studies on CU traits and peer rejection presented mixed results. Some research demonstrated a significant association between the two variables [ 7 , 62 ], and some others did not find an association [ 20 , 63 ]. This may be due to subjective differences between different informants.…”

“…This may be due to subjective differences between different informants. For example, research that used peer reports had inconsistent results with research that used children’s self-reports [ 62 , 63 ]. This study used a teacher-reported approach, yet social interactions between children often occur outside of the adult’s view [ 64 ], and thus may have some influence on the result of this study.…”

Alcances en neurociencias cognitivas: Fundamentación línea de investigación en neurociencias y neurodesarrollo

“…De los estudios encontrados, Conradi, et al (2016) fue el único en tener una muestra de más de 1,000 sujetos. Por otro lado, Bobbio y Arbach (2019), Hwang, et al (2021), Paula Vagos, et al (2022), presentan muestras de menos de 280 participantes y el resto de las investigaciones como las de Pasalich, et al, (2012), Celedón, et al (2016, Clark y Frick (2018), Kimonis, et al (2019, Mooney, et al (2019), Acosta, et al (2020) contaban con muestras iguales o menores de 100 participantes.…”

“…De igual manera, solamente dos de dichos estudios (Suhlim Hwang et al 2021.;Vagos et al 2022) contaron con un diseño longitudinal. Lo anterior da cuenta de que la mayoría de los estudios no cuenta con una muestra grande representativa que genere mayores datos estadísticos para una mayor validez y confiabilidad en los hallazgos y resultados presentados.…”

Callous-unemotional Traits and Child Response to Teacher Rewards, Discipline, and Instructional Methods in Chinese Preschools: A Classroom Observation Study

“…CU traits are associated with greater conflict and less closeness between teachers and students (Baroncelli & Ciucci, 2020 ), impaired peer relationships (Wagner et al, 2020 ), and academic underachievement (Horan et al, 2016 ). This has led to recent calls to recognize the potential utility of CU traits for addressing disruptive behavior in school, with teacher-child interaction identified as a potential target for intervention (Hwang et al, 2022 ; Willoughby et al, 2022 ).…”