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Response to Time-Out Among Preschoolers with Externalizing Behavior Problems: The Role of Callous-Unemotional Traits

Alexis M Garcia1, Paulo A Graziano2, Katie C Hart1

  • 1Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, USA.

Child Psychiatry and Human Development
|February 21, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Children with callous-unemotional (CU) traits and externalizing behavior problems (EBP) required more time-out (TO) interventions. Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) symptoms predicted less aggression-related TO, but only in children with low CU traits.

Area of Science:

  • Child Psychology
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Clinical Psychology

Background:

  • Externalizing behavior problems (EBP) are prevalent in preschoolers.
  • Callous-unemotional (CU) traits are associated with severe EBP.
  • The efficacy of interventions like time-out (TO) for children with EBP and CU traits requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the role of CU traits in preschoolers with EBP.
  • To assess the response to TO interventions in this population.
  • To explore the interaction between CU traits and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) symptoms in predicting treatment outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • 190 preschoolers (aged 4.92 years) with elevated EBP participated in an 8-week summer treatment program (STP-PreK).
  • Time-out (TO) durations for intentional aggression (IA) and repeated non-compliance (RNC) were measured at the beginning (T1) and end (T2) of the program.
  • Statistical analyses controlled for EBP severity and initial TO levels.

Main Results:

  • Higher CU traits predicted increased total TO duration at T2, independent of initial TO and EBP severity.
  • An interaction between ODD symptoms and CU traits predicted IA-related TO.
  • Specifically, higher ODD symptoms were associated with fewer IA-related TOs only in children with low CU traits.

Conclusions:

  • CU traits may predict a greater need for TO interventions in preschoolers with EBP.
  • The interplay between ODD and CU traits influences treatment response, suggesting tailored interventions.
  • Findings highlight the importance of considering CU traits in the treatment of disruptive behaviors in young children.

Keywords:
Behavioral treatmentCallous-unemotional traitsConduct problemsPreschoolersTime-out

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