Teachers' perceptions of the school functioning of Chinese preschool children with callous-unemotional traits and disruptive behaviors

Cao, Xinyi; Somerville, Matthew P.; Allen, Jennifer L.

doi:10.1016/j.tate.2022.103990

Cited by 4 publications

(8 citation statements)

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“…Consistent with this explanation, disruptive behavior was also unrelated to more frequent discipline or harsh discipline in the current study. Our study extends the understanding of the relationship between CU traits and teacher use of discipline to Chinese preschool children, as well as to a wide spectrum of observed discipline strategies ranging from mild to severe disciplinary practices (Cao et al, 2023 ).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 61%

“…The adapted code list consisted of three main themes of codes: instructional methods, rewards and discipline. Instructional methods included 4 main types of instructions used by Chinese preschool teachers (Cao et al, 2023 ): teacher-directed activities, peer cooperation activities, individual learning activities and one-to-one teacher-child interaction. Unlike the first three instructional methods, which typically last for an entire observation window and do not usually occur simultaneously, one-to-one teacher-child interaction often only lasts for a few minutes and can occur alongside other classroom activities.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Consistent with theory, qualitative research with high school teachers in England reported that students high in CU traits displayed uncaring and confrontational attitudes towards teachers when disciplined (Allen et al, 2016 , 2018 ). Recent qualitative research in China found that preschool teachers perceived children with disruptive behavior and high CU traits as more likely to show uncaring or oppositional responses to discipline than children with disruptive behavior and low CU traits (Cao et al, 2023 ). Children with disruptive behavior and higher levels of CU traits did not appear guilty or concerned about the impact of their behavior on others, and refused to apologize following a transgression.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Qualitative interviews with high school teachers in England were mixed, as some teachers identified praise and a positive teacher-child relationship as increasing the prosocial behavior and school engagement of students high in CU traits, while others stated that neither social nor tangible rewards had any effect unless they could be used to enhance social status or achieve dominance over others (Allen et al, 2016 , 2018 ). A recent qualitative study in China found more consistent views among preschool teachers, who reported that children with disruptive behavior high in CU traits were equally responsive to social rewards as children with disruptive behavior low in CU traits (Cao et al, 2023 ). Despite the value of classroom observation in providing an objective assessment of interactive exchanges between teachers and children in real-time, previous studies on CU traits and child responses to teacher discipline and rewards have relied on either student or teacher interview or questionnaire methods, which may be subject to mood, memory, and other subjective biases.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…For example, Bird et al ( 2019 ) suggested that boys high in CU traits performed more poorly than girls in Science, due to their not receiving the same benefits from group work because of the lower empathy and poorer social competence that accompanies CU traits in boys compared to girls. In qualitative research, Cao et al ( 2023 ) found that teachers perceived Chinese preschool children with disruptive behavior and CU traits as showing poorer engagement during teacher-directed activities but showed similar levels of engagement to their low-CU peers during one-to-one activities with teachers or individual learning activities that allowed them to select learning materials based on their interests. Furthermore, previous qualitative research indicated that teachers perceived high school children with CU traits as needing more intense monitoring and individual feedback in class to engage in academic work (Allen et al, 2018 ).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Callous-unemotional Traits and Child Response to Teacher Rewards, Discipline, and Instructional Methods in Chinese Preschools: A Classroom Observation Study

Cao,

Somerville,

Shou

et al. 2023

Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol

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Atypical responses to teacher rewards, discipline and different forms of instructional methods have been identified as potential contributors to disruptive behavior, low school engagement, and academic underachievement in children with elevated callous-unemotional (CU) traits. To date, research on CU traits in schools has relied on interview or questionnaire methods and has predominantly been conducted in Western countries. Thus, the present study aims to investigate the relationships between CU traits and children’s responses to teacher rewards, discipline and instructional methods in the Chinese preschool context using classroom observation. Eight teachers (7 females, 1 male; M = 37.66 years) and 116 children (56% girls; M = 5.16 years) from two mainstream Chinese preschools participated in the study. Of the 116 eligible children, the behavior of 108 children from four classes were observed during classroom activities. Findings indicated that CU traits were not related to children’s responses to discipline, nor did CU traits moderate the relationship between instructional methods and children’s academic engagement. Higher CU traits predicted a greater frequency of one-to-one teacher-child interaction. Our findings offer initial insights into the potential of early school-based interventions in fostering engagement and prosocial behavior among children with CU traits. However, they also highlight the need for additional support for preschool teachers, who face the challenge of managing these high-risk children who appear to require more individual time and attention.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 61%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Callous-unemotional Traits and Child Response to Teacher Rewards, Discipline, and Instructional Methods in Chinese Preschools: A Classroom Observation Study

Cao,

Somerville,

Shou

et al. 2023

Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol

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When Being Bad Feels Good: A Systematic Review of the Relationship Between Positive Emotion and Antisocial Behavior in Children and Adolescents

Moore,

Tam,

Allen

2024

Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev

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Antisocial behavior in childhood and adolescence is associated with poor family and peer relationships, and a higher risk of mental and physical health problems in adulthood, as well as criminality. Emotions play a central role in children’s moral development, but most research has focused on negative emotions (e.g., shame and guilt), in relation to childhood antisocial behavior. Research in adult populations indicates that positive emotions experienced in anticipation of, during, and after antisocial acts may play an important role in the development and maintenance of antisocial behavior. Consequently, this systematic review aimed to investigate the relationship between positive emotion and antisocial behavior in children and adolescents. A systematic search in five databases was conducted, yielding 52 studies that used different methodological approaches, samples, designs and methods to examine this association. Results provide support for a positive relationship between positive emotion and antisocial behavior across community, forensic and clinical samples. This link appeared to be stronger for younger children, boys, and for children high in social dominance, callous-unemotional or sensation-seeking traits. Results suggested that positive affect may act in concert with negative emotion, cognitive, personality and motivational processes, as well as peer influences to determine the initiation and maintenance of antisocial behavior. This review presents directions for future research and discusses the implications of findings for prevention and intervention programs for youth with antisocial behavior.

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Callous-unemotional traits and externalizing problem behaviors in left-behind preschool children: the role of emotional lability/negativity and positive teacher-child relationship

Tan

Guo

Chen

et al. 2023

Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health

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Background Callous-unemotional traits and emotional lability/negativity of young children have been regarded as the markers of externalizing problem behaviors. Based on the sensitivity to threat and affiliative reward model and the general aggression model, emotional lability/negativity may act as a mediator in the relationship between callous-unemotional traits and externalizing problem behaviors. Additionally, a positive teacher-child relationship could act as a buffer given the parental absence in left-behind children. However, these links remain unexplored in left-behind preschool children. Therefore, this study explored the link between callous-unemotional traits of left-behind preschool children and externalizing problem behaviors, as well as the mediating role of emotional lability/negativity and the moderating role of a positive teacher-child relationship. Method Data were collected on 525 left-behind children aged 3 to 6 years from rural kindergartens in China. Preschool teachers reported all data through an online survey platform. Moderated mediation analysis was performed to examine whether the mediated relation between callous-unemotional traits and externalizing problem behaviors was moderated by a positive teacher-child relationship. Results The results showed callous-unemotional traits significantly predicted externalizing problem behaviors and lability/negativity acted as a mediator, while a positive teacher-child relationship acted as a protective factor in moderating the relationship between callous-unemotional traits and emotional lability/negativity. This study identified a moderated mediation effect among the four variables in left-behind preschool children in China. Conclusion The findings provide support for the advancement of theoretical foundations, and provide an avenue for further exploration to support the mental health and overall development of left-behind children during early childhood.

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Teachers' perceptions of the school functioning of Chinese preschool children with callous-unemotional traits and disruptive behaviors

Cited by 4 publications

References 59 publications

Callous-unemotional Traits and Child Response to Teacher Rewards, Discipline, and Instructional Methods in Chinese Preschools: A Classroom Observation Study

Callous-unemotional Traits and Child Response to Teacher Rewards, Discipline, and Instructional Methods in Chinese Preschools: A Classroom Observation Study

When Being Bad Feels Good: A Systematic Review of the Relationship Between Positive Emotion and Antisocial Behavior in Children and Adolescents

Callous-unemotional traits and externalizing problem behaviors in left-behind preschool children: the role of emotional lability/negativity and positive teacher-child relationship

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