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. 2016 Sep;45(9):1917-30.
doi: 10.1007/s10964-016-0527-x. Epub 2016 Jun 22.

The Association Between Callous-Unemotional Traits, Externalizing Problems, and Gender in Predicting Cognitive and Affective Morality Judgments in Adolescence

Iro Fragkaki  1 , Maaike Cima  2 , Cor Meesters  3
Affiliations

The Association Between Callous-Unemotional Traits, Externalizing Problems, and Gender in Predicting Cognitive and Affective Morality Judgments in Adolescence

Iro Fragkaki et al. J Youth Adolesc. 2016 Sep.

Abstract

Morality deficits have been linked to callous-unemotional traits and externalizing problems in response to moral dilemmas, but these associations are still obscure in response to antisocial acts in adolescence. Limited evidence on young boys suggested that callous-unemotional traits and externalizing problems were associated with affective but not cognitive morality judgments. The present study investigated these associations in a community sample of 277 adolescents (M age = 15.35, 64 % females). Adolescents with high callous-unemotional traits showed deficits in affective but not cognitive morality, indicating that they can identify the appropriate moral emotions in others, but experience deviant moral emotions when imagining themselves committing antisocial acts. Externalizing problems and male gender were also strongly related to deficits in affective morality, but they had smaller associations with deficits in cognitive morality too. Implications for treatment and the justice system are discussed.

Keywords: Callous–unemotional traits; Externalizing problems; Gender; Morality judgments.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Interaction effects of callous–unemotional (CU) traits (median split) and gender in feelings of happiness when adolescents imagined themselves committing antisocial acts
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