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Research on Child and Adolescent... Jun 2024Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a global public health problem and is highly prevalent among justice-involved populations. Pediatric TBI is linked with long-term...
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a global public health problem and is highly prevalent among justice-involved populations. Pediatric TBI is linked with long-term negative outcomes and is correlated with substance use, criminal behavior, psychiatric disorders, and disruptions in neurocognition. These same TBI correlates are evident among youth with psychopathic traits. Given ongoing neurobiological and social development in adolescence, understanding the link between psychopathic traits and TBI in justice-involved youth is critical. A sample of 263 male adolescents were recruited from a maximum-security juvenile justice facility. Using a structural equation modeling (SEM) framework, measurement invariance of psychopathic traits (TBI ±) was tested, and psychopathy scores were accounted for in terms of TBI variables (severity, age of first TBI, total number), participant's age, IQ, substance use, and internalizing psychopathology. There was evidence of strong invariance across TBI status and those with TBI had higher affective and impulsive lifestyle psychopathic traits than adolescents without TBI. The SEM indicated that TBI severity was associated with lower IQ scores, which in turn were associated with increased lifestyle/antisocial (Factor 2) psychopathic traits. Total number of TBIs was associated with higher substance use, which was associated with both increased interpersonal/affective (Factor 1) and Factor 2 psychopathic traits. These TBI variables also had indirect associations with psychopathic traits through IQ and substance use. The findings indicate that TBI is associated with psychopathic traits and suggest that disturbances in cognition and substance use may be treatment targets for youth with TBI and psychopathic traits.
PubMed: 38922463
DOI: 10.1007/s10802-024-01212-x -
Psychological Assessment Jun 2024The Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits (ICU) is a widely used measure of callous-unemotional (CU) traits that may aid in the assessment of the diagnostic specifier...
The Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits (ICU) self-report version: Factor structure, measurement invariance, and predictive validity in justice-involved male adolescents.
The Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits (ICU) is a widely used measure of callous-unemotional (CU) traits that may aid in the assessment of the diagnostic specifier "with limited prosocial emotions," which has been added to diagnostic criteria for conduct disorder. Though there is substantial support for use of the ICU total score, the scale's factor structure has been highly debated. Inconsistencies in past factor analyses may be largely attributed to failure to control for method variance due to item wording (i.e., half of the items being worded in the callous direction and half worded in the prosocial direction). Thus, the present study used a multitrait-multimethod confirmatory factor analytic approach that models both trait and method variance to test the factor structure of the ICU self-report in a clinically relevant, high-risk sample of justice-involved male adolescents ( = 1,216). When comparing the fit of empirical and theoretical models, goodness of fit indices (χ² = 1105.877, = 190, root-mean-square error of approximation = .063, comparative fit index = .916, Tucker-Lewis index = .878, standardized root-mean-square residual = .051) provided support for a hierarchical four-factor model (i.e., one overarching callous-unemotional factor, four latent trait factors) when accounting for method variance (i.e., covarying positively worded items). This factor structure is consistent with the way the ICU was constructed and with criteria for the limited prosocial emotions specifier. In addition, measurement invariance of this factor structure across age, race, and ethnicity was supported, and the predictive validity of the ICU was supported across these demographic groups in predicting self-reported antisocial behavior and rearrests over a 5-year period following an adolescent's first arrest. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).
PubMed: 38900518
DOI: 10.1037/pas0001322 -
International Journal of Offender... Jun 2024A systematic review and multilevel meta-analysis was performed (28 studies and 313 effect sizes) on the relation between residential group climate (i.e., safety,...
A systematic review and multilevel meta-analysis was performed (28 studies and 313 effect sizes) on the relation between residential group climate (i.e., safety, atmosphere, repression, support, growth, structure) and antisocial behavior, including aggression and criminal recidivism. A systematic search was conducted in PsychINFO, ERIC, and OVID Medline up to February 2023. Results showed a small but significant association ( = .20) between residential group climate and antisocial behavior, equivalent to a 23% reduction of antisocial behavior in all clients receiving care in a residential facility with a therapeutic group climate. Moderator analyses showed that experienced safety was more strongly related to antisocial behavior ( = .30) than the other dimensions of group climate (.17 < < .20), while the effect size was somewhat larger for adults ( = .24) than for youth ( = .15). We conclude that residential facilities should consider safety as a priority and should involve clients in a positive process of change through the development of a therapeutic environment and delivery of evidence-based treatment, addressing their needs from the perspective of rehabilitation.
PubMed: 38855815
DOI: 10.1177/0306624X241252052 -
Frontiers in Psychiatry 2024Writing involves the activation of different processing modes than reading comprehension, and therefore the level of activation varies depending on the moment and the...
ABSTRACT
Writing involves the activation of different processing modes than reading comprehension, and therefore the level of activation varies depending on the moment and the task.
OBJECTIVES
to analyze the profiles in terms of the proposed coding from the PROESC in terms of personality disorders [Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD) with drugs possession and consumption crimes (DPCC) and Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD)] with gender violence crimes (GVC) in the prisoners.
DESIGN
The sample was composed of 194 men. The participants were divided into two groups. Group 1 (ASPD; DPCC) consisted of 81 men, and Group 2 (OCPD; GVC) consisted of 113 men.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
They completed the Demographic, Offense, and Behavioral Interview in Institutions, the International Personality Disorders Examination (IPDE), and Writing Processes Evaluation Battery (PROESC).
RESULTS
Group 2 made more mistake than Group 1 in narratives tasks.
CONCLUSION
Participants know phoneme-grapheme correspondence rules, language disturbances of a reiterative and persistent nature may appear in those who show compulsive behavior.
PubMed: 38855649
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1391463 -
Journal of Nonverbal Behavior Sep 2023Here, we investigate how facial trustworthiness-a socially influential appearance variable-interrelates with antisocial behavior across adolescence and middle adulthood....
Here, we investigate how facial trustworthiness-a socially influential appearance variable-interrelates with antisocial behavior across adolescence and middle adulthood. Specifically, adolescents who look untrustworthy may be treated with suspicion, leading to antisocial behavior through expectancy effects. Alternatively, early antisocial behaviors may promote an untrustworthy appearance over time (Dorian Gray effect). We tested these expectancy and Dorian Gray effects in a longitudinal study that followed 206 at-risk boys (90% White) from ages 13-38 years. Parallel process piecewise growth models indicated that facial trustworthiness (assessed from photographs taken prospectively) declined during adolescence and then stabilized in adulthood. Consistent with expectancy effects, initial levels of facial trustworthiness were positively related to increases in antisocial behavior during adolescence and also during adulthood. Additionally, higher initial levels of antisocial behavior predicted relative decreases in facial trustworthiness across adolescence. Adolescent boys' facial appearance may therefore both encourage and reflect antisocial behavior over time.
PubMed: 38855115
DOI: 10.1007/s10919-023-00432-x -
Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Jun 2024Our society faces a great diversity of opportunities for youth. The 10-year Growing Up Together in Society (GUTS) program has the long-term goal to understand which...
Our society faces a great diversity of opportunities for youth. The 10-year Growing Up Together in Society (GUTS) program has the long-term goal to understand which combination of measures best predict societal trajectories, such as school success, mental health, well-being, and developing a sense of belonging in society. Our leading hypothesis is that self-regulation is key to how adolescents successfully navigate the demands of contemporary society. We aim to test these questions using socio-economic, questionnaire (including experience sampling methods), behavioral, brain (fMRI, sMRI, EEG), hormonal, and genetic measures in four large cohorts including adolescents and young adults. Two cohorts are designed as test and replication cohorts to test the developmental trajectory of self-regulation, including adolescents of different socioeconomic status thereby bridging individual, family, and societal perspectives. The third cohort consists of an entire social network to examine how neural and self-regulatory development influences and is influenced by whom adolescents and young adults choose to interact with. The fourth cohort includes youth with early signs of antisocial and delinquent behavior to understand patterns of societal development in individuals at the extreme ends of self-regulation and societal participation, and examines pathways into and out of delinquency. We will complement the newly collected cohorts with data from existing large-scale population-based and case-control cohorts. The study is embedded in a transdisciplinary approach that engages stakeholders throughout the design stage, with a strong focus on citizen science and youth participation in study design, data collection, and interpretation of results, to ensure optimal translation to youth in society.
Topics: Humans; Adolescent; Young Adult; Male; Female; Self-Control; Brain; Cohort Studies; Adult; Adolescent Development
PubMed: 38852381
DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2024.101403 -
Clinical Psychology Review Jul 2024Theories of psychopathy development traditionally emphasize that individuals high in psychopathy experience diminished internalizing symptoms (e.g., anxiety and... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Theories of psychopathy development traditionally emphasize that individuals high in psychopathy experience diminished internalizing symptoms (e.g., anxiety and depression). However, many studies find null or even positive relationships between psychopathy and internalizing. The current meta-analysis therefore aimed to provide a comprehensive understanding of heterogeneity in psychopathy-anxiety/depression relationships by examining measurement and sample-related variables that may moderate these associations (e.g., psychopathy subdimensions assessed, different measures/operationalizations of psychopathy and anxiety/depression, and demographic characteristics). Results suggest that psychopathy demonstrates a small, positive overall association with anxiety/depression (r = 0.09), which may indicate that psychopathy is unrelated to subjective experiences of anxiety and sadness, but results could also reflect that varying psychopathy and anxiety/depression assessment practices contribute to heterogeneity in psychopathy-anxiety/depression associations. Most notably, results indicate that associations vary substantially across different measures/operationalizations of psychopathy, even when controlling for sample type and informant. Some psychopathy scales could therefore inadvertently capture anxiety/depression symptoms or broader psychopathology in addition to psychopathic traits. Findings from the current meta-analysis can inform future efforts to understand how measurement-related considerations influence relationships between psychopathy and anxiety/depression.
Topics: Humans; Anxiety; Depression; Antisocial Personality Disorder
PubMed: 38838516
DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2024.102448 -
Journal of Experimental Child Psychology Sep 2024Adults' emotional reactions to the pain and pleasure of others are influenced by the moral character of those individuals. However, it remains unclear whether children's...
Adults' emotional reactions to the pain and pleasure of others are influenced by the moral character of those individuals. However, it remains unclear whether children's emotional responses also show such selectivity. To investigate this, we compared 4- to 8-year-old children's emotional responses to the physical pain and pleasure of prosocial versus antisocial puppets. In Study 1, children reported unhappiness after witnessing the pain of the prosocial and antisocial puppets but reported less unhappiness after witnessing the pain of the antisocial puppet. In Study 2, children reported happiness after witnessing the pleasure of both puppets but reported being less happy for the antisocial puppet. These results suggest that children are less likely to empathize with antisocial individuals. Meanwhile, children did not display Schadenfreude (pleasure at others' pain) or Gluckschmerz (displeasure at others' pleasure) toward antisocial individuals in our studies. Moreover, the selectivity of children's emotional responses disappeared after we manipulated the physical competence rather than the moral character of the puppets in Study 3. Our findings help to reveal the moral selectivity of emotional responses to others' pleasure and pain during early childhood.
Topics: Humans; Empathy; Male; Female; Child; Child, Preschool; Pleasure; Emotions; Pain; Morals; Social Behavior
PubMed: 38823357
DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2024.105974 -
Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience May 2024Although the development of prosocial behavior has been widely studied from the behavioral aspect, the neural mechanisms underlying prosocial behavior in the early...
Although the development of prosocial behavior has been widely studied from the behavioral aspect, the neural mechanisms underlying prosocial behavior in the early stages of development remain unclear. Therefore, this study investigated the neural mechanisms underlying the emergence of prosocial behavior in 3-year-old children. Brain activity in the medial pFC and right TPJ (rTPJ) and facial expression activity, which are related to the ability to infer others' mental states (mentalizing), during the observation of prosocial and antisocial scenes were measured using functional near-infrared spectroscopy and electromyography, respectively. Subsequently, the children's helping and comforting behaviors toward an experimenter were assessed to examine prosocial behavioral tendencies. A correlation analysis revealed that the children who showed stronger activity levels in the rTPJ while observing prosocial scenes had more immediate helping behaviors toward others than those who did not show stronger response levels. Moreover, the amount of facial expression activity correlated with prosocial behavior, including both helping and comforting behaviors. These results suggest that the development of mentalizing ability and the social evaluation of others' actions, mediated by the rTPJ, contributes to the emergence of prosocial behavior.
PubMed: 38820551
DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_02199