Callous-Unemotional Traits and Executive Functions are Unique Correlates of Disruptive Behavior in Children

ABSTRACT

This study examined the influence of executive functions on the association between callous-unemotional traits and severity and type of childhood disruptive behavior. Eighty one children aged 8–12 years and their parents participated in the study. We assessed children’s callous-unemotional traits, executive functions, and two indices of disruptive behavior. Callous-unemotional traits and parent ratings of executive dysfunction were uniquely correlated with elevated conduct problems and oppositional and defiant behavior. Neither performance-based measures, nor parent ratings of executive function, moderated the association between callous-unemotional traits and disruptive behavior. Study findings suggest that executive functions and callous-unemotional traits may impact children’s behavior independently.

Acknowledgments

Data collected for this study was supported by a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Insight Grant to M. Toplak.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical Approval

All research procedures involving human participants were approved by the Institutional Research Ethics Review Board at the outpatient mental health hospital and university, in accordance with the standards laid down in the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments.

Informed Consent

Informed consent was obtained from all participating parents and children.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.