Early Childhood Callous-Unemotional Behaviors

This bundled dissertation seeks to fill a gap in the current literature around callous-unemotional behaviors (CU) in early childhood. Three models of personality and psychopathology were tested through a behavioral genetic lens. Firstly, theory of mind use (Nice and Nasty), emotion regulation, and CU were examined. Secondly, the relationship between social fear, object fear, and CU was tested. Lastly, temperamental anger proneness and CU were explored. All three studies were conducted with two and three-year-old twins from the Boston University Twin Project sample (n=304-312). Data was collected via parent report and observational measures. The three studies found that different models of personality and psychopathology explained CU’s relationship to different child characteristics. Behavioral genetic analyses yielded that, while genetic influences and a child’s individual experiences played an important part in each of these relationships, family-level influences were not a significant influence. The findings from these studies can be used to inform development and use of interventions with children who struggle with behavioral challenges before those challenges become chronic and severe.

Author

• White, Dorothy Arden

Language

• en

Keyword

• Behavioral Genetic
• Callous-Unemotional
• Social Cognition
• Child Development
• Temperament
• Personality

Date created

• 2021

Type of Work

• Dissertation

License

• All rights reserved

Rights statement

• In Copyright

GW Unit

• Psychology

Degree

• Ph.D.

Advisor

• Ganiban, Jody M

Committee Member(s)

• Adams Costa, Elizabeth B
• Dodge, Tonya

Persistent URL

•  https://scholarspace.library.gwu.edu/etd/k0698838d