(PS3-56) Do Callous-unemotional Traits Influence Motivation for Misbehavior During Time-out?

Abstract Text:

Introduction: Much research shows that youth with conduct problems (CP) and callous-unemotional (CU) traits are less responsive to various forms of punishing stimuli, including time-out which is a key component in behavior therapy. While these youth show elevated rates of negative behavior during time-out, no work has examined potential motivating factors as to why they engage in these negative behaviors. Thus, the current study explores whether there is an association between CU traits, negative behavior, and motivation for negative behavior.

Method: Participants were 44 youth (ages 7-12, ages 7-12, 30% Hispanic) enrolled in a five-week summer treatment program. Treatment staff recorded child- and counselor-report of the child’s emotion during time-out (e.g., anger, guilt, and amusement) along with motivations for negative behavior during time-out (e.g., trying to make the counselors and peers angry and/or laugh), all rated on a 1-5 scale. Chi-squares were used to examine associations between the presence and absence of negative behaviors with the motivation items, while generalized estimating equation multinomial regressions were run to explore whether CU traits predicted responses on the motivation outcomes.

Results: Chi-square tests revealed significant associations between the presence of NB and motivational variables, indicating that youth engaging in negative behaviors were most likely to be motivated by a desire to make counselors mad. Multinomial regressions found that, on the emotion items, CU traits predicted less child- and counselor-reported anger, amusement, and guilt during time-out. On the motivation items, higher levels of CU traits were associated with a reduced likelihood of engaging in negative behaviors to make the treatment counselors laugh. The relationship between CU traits and motivation items did not differ as a function of the absence or presence of negative behaviors, however.

Discussion: This study offers initial insight into the motivations for why youth with CP and CU traits engage in negative behaviors during time-out. Findings suggest that youth who engage in negative behaviors during time-out may have distinct motivational patterns that influence their response to the intervention. These results underscore the importance of considering CU traits when designing behavior management strategies, as they appear to shape both the emotional responses to time-out and the motivations for negative behaviors, highlighting the need for more individualized approaches for youth with CU traits.