Abstract
Callous-unemotional (CU) traits are associated with lower emotional reactivity in adolescents. However, since previous studies have focused mainly on reactivity to negative stimuli, it is unclear whether reactivity to positive stimuli is also affected. Further, few studies have addressed the link between CU traits and emotional reactivity in longitudinal community samples, which is important for determining its generalizability and developmental course. In the current study, pupil dilation and self-ratings of arousal and valence were assessed in 100 adolescents (15–17 years) from a community sample, while viewing images with negative and positive valence from the International Affective Pictures System (IAPS). Behavioral traits (CU) were assessed concurrently, as well as at ages 12–15, and 8–9 (subsample, n = 68, low levels of prosocial behavior were used as a proxy for CU traits). The results demonstrate that CU traits assessed at ages 12–15 and 8–9 predicted less pupil dilation to both positive and negative images at ages 15–17. Further, CU traits at ages 12–15 and concurrently were associated with less negative valence ratings for negative images and concurrently to less positive valence ratings for positive images. The current findings demonstrate that CU traits are related to lower emotional reactivity to both negative and positive stimuli in adolescents from a community sample.
Highlights
Children with callous-unemotional (CU) traits are characterized by deficits in empathy and guilt, low distress, low fearfulness, and restricted emotional expression (Frick et al, 2014)
We found that CU traits were predictively associated with lower emotional reactivity when viewing both positive and negative images from the International Affective Pictures System (IAPS)
Disruptive Behavioral Problems (DBP) were concurrently related to lower ratings of arousal to positive images. Together these findings suggest that self-ratings of arousal have some relation to CU traits, but that the physiological measure of emotional reactivity, pupil dilation, is a more direct way to assess arousal and is less likely to be influenced by other participant factors, making the relation between arousal and CU traits more clear
Summary
Children with callous-unemotional (CU) traits are characterized by deficits in empathy and guilt, low distress, low fearfulness, and restricted emotional expression (Frick et al, 2014). CU Traits and Emotional Reactivity treatment outcomes (Frick et al, 2014). Twin studies indicate that conduct problems in children with elevated CU traits have a considerably stronger genetic influence than in children with normative levels of CU traits (Frick et al, 2014). CU traits are considered to be detectable early in childhood, possibly as early as 2 years of age (Waller et al, 2012) and predict both earlier onset and greater persistence of conduct problems (Dandreaux and Frick, 2009; Rowe et al, 2010b). Given the negative outcomes associated with elevated levels of CU traits, more knowledge is needed on potential underlying mechanisms/processes related to CU traits
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