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Javakhishvili M, Vazsonyi AT. Empathy, Self-control, Callous-Unemotionality, and Delinquency: Unique and Shared Developmental Antecedents. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev. 2021;doi: 10.1007/s10578-021-01137-2.
Javakhishvili, M., & Vazsonyi, A. T. (2021). Empathy, Self-control, Callous-Unemotionality, and Delinquency: Unique and Shared Developmental Antecedents. Child psychiatry and human development, . https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-021-01137-2
Javakhishvili, Magda, and Vazsonyi, Alexander T. "Empathy, Self-control, Callous-Unemotionality, and Delinquency: Unique and Shared Developmental Antecedents." Child psychiatry and human development vol. (2021). doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-021-01137-2
Javakhishvili M, Vazsonyi AT. Empathy, Self-control, Callous-Unemotionality, and Delinquency: Unique and Shared Developmental Antecedents. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev. 2021 Feb 12; doi: 10.1007/s10578-021-01137-2. Epub 2021 Feb 12. PMID: 33580480.
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Child Psychiatry Hum Dev. 2021 Feb 12; doi: 10.1007/s10578-021-01137-2. Epub 2021 Feb 12.

Empathy, Self-control, Callous-Unemotionality, and Delinquency: Unique and Shared Developmental Antecedents.

Child psychiatry and human development

Magda Javakhishvili, Alexander T Vazsonyi

Affiliations

  1. Department of Family Sciences, University of Kentucky, 316 Funkhouser Bldg., Lexington, KY, 40506, USA.
  2. Department of Family Sciences, University of Kentucky, 316 Funkhouser Bldg., Lexington, KY, 40506, USA. [email protected].

PMID: 33580480 DOI: 10.1007/s10578-021-01137-2

Abstract

The current investigation tested childhood developmental antecedents of adolescent empathy, self-control, callous-unemotionality, and delinquency, namely difficult temperament, positive socialization experiences, and intelligence; it also tested potential mediation effects of temperament via socialization. Data were collected as part of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Early Child Care and Youth Development Study, which followed N = 1364 children from birth through 15 years (51% female, 80% European American). Early positive socialization (maternal sensitivity, secure attachment, and quality home environment) and temperament variables were assessed from 1 to 36 months, intelligence at age 9, and self-control, empathy, callous-unemotionality, and delinquency at age 15. Based on structural equation modeling hypothesis tests, early positive socialization positively predicted self-control and empathy, and negatively predicted callous-unemotionality and delinquency. Intelligence uniquely and positively predicted empathy. Difficult infant temperament indirectly predicted each of the four traits through early positive socialization. Important research and practical implications are discussed.

Keywords: Callous-unemotional; Delinquency; Empathy; Intelligence; Longitudinal; Parenting; Psychopathy; Self-control; Temperament

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