How Children Play With Others Can Reveal Their Risk for Antisocial Behavior
BU psychologists pinpoint traits of play that could forewarn future aggressive and antisocial behavior
Ever wondered if your child’s demeanor can reveal how their personality might develop in the future? And does their seeming lack of remorse over scribbling a Sharpie on the coffee table indicate something more sinister?
Boston University psychologists Nicholas Wagner and Kimberly Saudino say the early appearance of callous-unemotional (CU) behaviors, such as guiltlessness and a lack of empathy, predicts the risk for a child to develop persistent antisocial behavior and aggression later in life. But how do you spot early CU behaviors in toddlers? In a study published in Psychological Medicine, they explored the early development of CU behaviors, watching hundreds of young children play games in a social context, and found that fearlessness and low interest in social connection can be warning signs that CU behaviors may lie ahead.
Participants in the study—227 twin pairs from the Boston University Twin Project—were asked to complete two laboratory visits, once when they were 3 years old and again at the age of 5. During each session, the researchers observed the toddlers engaging in a variety of tasks, including bead sorting and a pop-up snake game, while interacting with their parents and the research assistants. The extent to which the children demonstrated behavioral fear in social situations and their desire to interact with the people around them was coded and observed by Wagner and Saudino’s research team.