UC Irvine

Callous-unemotional (CU) traits have consistently been linked to severe and persistent patterns of antisocial and aggressive behavior in adolescents. Though a lack of empathy has often defined CU traits, placing these constructs at opposing ends of the same continuum, there is reason to suspect that CU traits and empathy are not only unique constructs, but also relate to different outcomes. The present study sought to unpack CU traits and empathy in a more systematic manner, examining their unique contributions to externalizing behaviors, internalizing symptoms, and prosocial tendencies in a group of high-risk adolescents. We asked maltreated (n=92) and community-matched (n=75) 12 to 17 year-olds about their emotional and behavioral functioning. Maltreated youth reported higher levels of CU traits but did not differ from community youth on cognitive or affective empathy. Additionally, CU traits and empathy were related to unique forms of functioning – CU traits with externalizing behaviors, affective empathy with internalizing symptoms, and both with prosocial tendencies. Findings offer unique insight into the relations among CU traits, empathy, and adolescents’ functioning. Implications for interventions and potential directions for future work are discussed.