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Research Articles

Affective theory of mind impairments underlying callous-unemotional traits and the role of cognitive control

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Pages 696-713 | Received 25 Feb 2022, Accepted 21 Mar 2023, Published online: 05 Apr 2023
 

ABSTRACT

Affective theory of mind (aToM) impairments associated with the youth antisocial phenotype callous-unemotional (CU) traits predict antisocial behaviour above CU traits alone. Importantly, CU traits associate with decrements in complex but not basic aToM. aToM is modulated by cognitive control and CU traits associate with cognitive control impairments; thus, cognitive control is a plausible mechanism underlying aToM impairments in CU traits. Because cognitive control is dependent on the availability of cognitive resources, youth with CU traits may have difficulty with allocating cognitive resources under greater demands that impact complex aToM. To test this, 81 participants (ages 12–14, Female = 51.8%, Male = 48.2%) were recruited to complete a behavioural paradigm that involved an initial aToM task with complex and basic emotions followed by placing additional demands on cognitive control and a final repeat of the same aToM task. Results indicate adolescents higher in CU traits had intact basic aToM but less accuracy in complex aToM that worsened after taxing cognitive control; and this load only required a short duration to account for ToM decrements (200 ms [range 150–1600 ms]). These results demonstrate CU traits association with cognitive control limitations that impact complex aToM. This may partially explain antisocial behaviour associated with CU traits.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to express our gratitude to Dr. Joseph P. Newman for his thoughtful comments on this manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Data availability statement

Data are available upon request to qualified investigators, so long as the proposed work aligns with the approved study aims as consented to by study subjects. Requests may be sent to the corresponding author, Dr. Drew E. Winters.

Additional information

Funding

Drew E Winters, PhD. was supported by a training grant from National Institutes of Mental Health, T32MH015442

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