The neurocognition of conduct disorder behaviors: specificity to physical aggression and theft after controlling for ADHD symptoms

Abstract

There is growing evidence that among the different conduct disorder (CD) behaviors, physical aggression, but not theft, links to low neurocognitive abilities. Specifically, physical aggression has consistently been found to be negatively related to neurocognitive abilities, whereas theft has been shown to be either positively or not related to neurocognition. The specificity of these links needs further examination because attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) links to both physical aggression and neurocognitive variation. The development of self-reported physical aggression and theft, from age 11 to 17 years, was studied in a prospective at-risk male cohort via a dual process latent growth curve model. Seven neurocognitive tests at age 20 were regressed on the growth parameters of physical aggression and theft. The links between neurocognition and the growth parameters of physical aggression and theft were adjusted for ADHD symptoms at ages 11 and 15 (parent, child and teacher reports). Results indicated that verbal abilities were negatively related to physical aggression while they were positively associated with theft. However, inductive reasoning was negatively associated with increases in theft across adolescence. Symptoms of ADHD accounted for part of the neurocognitive test links with physical aggression but did not account for the associations with theft. These differences emphasize the importance of examining specific CD behaviors to better understand their neurodevelopmental mechanisms. They also suggest that youth who engage in different levels of physical aggression or theft behaviors may require different preventive and corrective interventions.Correspondence to:

Conduct behaviors and oppositional defiant behaviors in children and adolescents with ADHD

“…The subcategory of aggression to people and animals as well as the subcategory of deceitfulness and theft are associated with ODD behaviors. Moreover, in contrast with the findings of other reports, person-oriented or property-oriented conduct behaviors are not associated with the ODD score or ADHD severity [18,19]. The current results show that the hyperactivity/impulsivity score is associated with the destruction of property subcategory, whereas the inattentiveness score is associated with the aggression to people or animals subcategory.…”

“…Moreover, CD in girls with ADHD is a risk factor for academic, psychiatric, and sexual behavior problems [17]. In addition, CD in inmates of juvenile detention centers is associated with a lower educational and occupational level of the father [18].…”

“…For example, it is suggested that more serious physical aggression behaviors are associated with ADHD, whereas deceptive behaviors, such as theft without the presence of physical aggression, is associated with lower levels of ADHD [17]. It is assumed that thought is required for stealing but not for physical aggression, in that a thief needs to search the environment, prepare a plan, and wait for a suitable opportunity [18]. Nevertheless, impulsivity might be associated with theft in ADHD as well.…”

Verbal Ability and Persistent Offending: A Race-specific Test of Moffitt’s Theory

“…For instance, Walsh (1987) reports the familiar relationship between low verbal ability and violence in his study of male probationers. In contrast, probationers with the highest verbal abilities engaged in more serious property offending (also see Barker et al, 2011). …”

9 Executive Function and Intelligence in the Development of Antisocial Behavior

“…This distinction may also be referred to the contrast between offenses against persons and property offenses, or to the contrast between overt and covert delinquency. A number of studies have shown that poor cognitive function was reliably reported for aggressive antisocial behavior, particularly for physical aggression, and that non-aggressive problems were either not associated or positively associated with cognitive function in both males and females (Barker et al, 2007(Barker et al, , 2011Giancola & Mezzich, 2000;Giancola, Mezzich, & Tarter, 1998;Hancock, Tapscott, & Hoaken, 2010;Larivée et al, 1994;Walsh, 1987), though the latter have been less studied.…”