RT Journal Article
T1 Testing the Predictive and Incremental Validity of Callous-Unemotional traits versus the Multidimensional Psychopathy Construct in Preschool Children
A1 López-Romero, Laura
A1 Colins, Olivier F.
A1 Fanti, Kostas
A1 Salekin, Randall T.
A1 Romero, Estrella
A1 Andershed, Henrik
K1 Psychopathy
K1 Callous-unemotional traits
K1 Conduct problems
K1 Reactive and proactive aggression
K1 Predictive incremental value
K1 Early childhood
AB This study aimed to test the predictive and incremental value of psychopathic trait dimensions in early childhood. To this end, a callous-unemotional (CU)-based approach was compared to the multidimensional psychopathic personality approach in predicting future and stable conduct problems (CP) and aggression, whilst controlling for well-established risk factors for child CP. Prospective longitudinal data were collected from a community sample of 2,247 children (48.6% girls) aged three to six (Mage = 4.25; SD = 0.91) at the initial assessment. Participants were followed annually for two years, with information provided by parents. Children were assigned to six mutually exclusive groups based on their baseline levels of psychopathic traits and conduct problems. Results showed that, after accounting for sociodemographic variables, temperamental features (e.g., fearlessness), and ADHD symptoms, children scoring high in all psychopathic traits and high in CP were at increased risk to display future and stable CP, reactive and proactive aggression, followed by the group of children high in CU traits and CP. Future research on child psychopathy may benefit from considering the constellation of co-occurring interpersonal, affective and behavioral psychopathic traits, and could inform developmental models aiming to explain heterogeneity in child CP.
PB Elsevier
SN 1873-6203
YR 2022
FD 2022
LK https://hdl.handle.net/10347/42977
UL https://hdl.handle.net/10347/42977
LA eng
NO López-Romero, L., Colins, O. F., Fanti, K., Salekin, R. T., Romero, E., & Andershed, H. (2022). Testing the predictive and incremental validity of callous-unemotional traits versus the multidimensional psychopathy construct in preschool children. Journal of Criminal Justice, 80, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2020.101744
NO FEDER/Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades – Agencia Estatal de Investigación/Grant (PSI2015-65766-R); Programa de Axudas á Etapa Posdoutoral da Xunta de Galicia (Consellería de Cultura, Educación e Ordenación Universitaria, Xunta de Galicia); and Axudas para a Consolidación e Estruturación de Unidades de Investigación Competitivas e outras Accións de Fomento nas Univeridades; GRC, 2018 (Consellería de Cultura, Educación e Ordenación Universitaria, Xunta de Galicia) provided financial support for this research.
DS Minerva
RD 3 may 2026