Callous-Unemotional Traits, Negative Parenting Practices and Conduct Problems in Singaporean Families

Abstract

Research into callous-unemotional traits is largely limited to studies in Western countries (e.g., Waller, Gardner & Hyde, 2013). Three studies were thus conducted to examine CU traits in Asian culture. The first study reviewed existing research on CU traits in Asian countries based on key findings from Western countries: if CU traits in Asia were associated with increased severity of conduct problems, neurodevelopmental/emotion-related correlates, environmental risk factors and treatment outcomes. Findings from 15 samples provided some evidence of similar risk processes between Asian and Western samples, but also indicated some differences, e.g., associations between CU traits and anxiety or peer influence.

In the second study, it was predicted that CU traits would moderate the associations between negative parenting and child aggression in a sample of clinic-referred children, based on findings of Yeh, Chen, Raine, Baker and Jacobson (2011) and differences in heritability of conduct problems between children with high and low CU traits (e.g., Dadds et al., 2006). Psychological aggressive parenting was associated with reactive and proactive aggression. Physically aggressive parenting was more strongly associated with proactive aggression among low-CU children than high-CU children.

In the third study, it was predicted that there would be moderate stability of CU traits based on findings of genetic influence on CU traits (e.g., Viding et al., 2005) and bidirectional associations between CU traits and negative parenting. Contrary to predictions, our sample of clinic-referred children showed low stability of CU traits over a six-year period, and no bidirectional link between CU traits and negative parenting. Only parental psychological aggression predicted changes in CU traits. These findings raise the need for ongoing research into CU traits in Asian cultures.