ERIC Number: EJ1177391
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018-May
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0012-1649
EISSN: N/A
Callous--Unemotional Traits Moderate the Association between Children's Early Moral Understanding and Aggression: A Short-Term Longitudinal Study
Jambon, Marc; Smetana, Judith G.
Developmental Psychology, v54 n5 p903-915 May 2018
Drawing on the framework of social domain theory, this multi-method, multi-informant longitudinal study examined whether callous-unemotional (CU) tendencies moderated the association between U.S. 4 to 7 year olds' (n = 135; M[subscript age] = 5.65, 50% male; 75% White) ability to differentiate hypothetical, prototypical moral and conventional transgressions along theoretical criteria and teacher (n = 49) and parent (n = 128, 91% mothers) ratings of physical aggression. Deficits in domain distinction ability were associated with greater teacher-reported aggression both concurrently and 9 months later, but only for children high in CU traits. No main effects or interactions were found for parent reports. These findings build on a growing body of research demonstrating that children who use aggression in a deliberate and callous manner show deficits in their basic understanding of moral norms.
Descriptors: Social Theories, Longitudinal Studies, Psychological Patterns, Young Children, Correlation, Moral Values, Behavior, Aggression, Student Characteristics, Interaction, Teacher Attitudes, Parent Attitudes, Individual Differences, Interpersonal Relationship, Interviews, Vignettes, Visual Stimuli, Structural Equation Models, Hypothesis Testing, Statistical Analysis
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
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Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A