Title

Emotional Responses to Antisocial Acts in Adolescent Males With Conduct Disorders: A Link to Affective Morality

School/Department

Rosemead School of Psychology

Publication Date

5-2003

Abstract

Examined the role of emotion-based moral processes in the committing of delinquent acts by adolescent males with conduct disorder (CD). An Affective Morality Index (AMI) was developed to assess emotional responses to vignettes of delinquent acts. CD groups, as compared to a non-CD group, reported lower levels of guilt and fear and higher levels of excitement and happiness following described transgressions. Number of CD symptoms and a recidivism-risk item were correlated negatively with reported guilt and fear and positively with happiness and excitement. Trends suggested that youth with childhood-onset CD (CO) show lower levels of affective morality than those with adolescent-onset CD (AO). There were no effects for anger. This research, and in particular the AMI, expands our understanding of affective-based morality, especially in discriminating between CD and non-CD youth.

Keywords

Conduct disorders in adolescence; Antisocial personality disorders

Publication Title

Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology

Volume

32

Issue

2

First Page

296

Last Page

301

DOI of Published Version

10.1207/S15374424JCCP3202_16

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