Date of Award

Summer 2013

Degree Type

Masters Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Psychology

Committee Chair

Christopher Barry

Committee Chair Department

Psychology

Committee Member 2

Tammy Barry

Committee Member 2 Department

Psychology

Committee Member 3

Jon Mandracchia

Committee Member 3 Department

Psychology

Abstract

The present study examined how contextual factors differentially influence the relation between the components of callous-unemotional (CU) traits and delinquency for male and female adolescents. More specifically, it considered delinquent peer affiliations and ineffective parenting practices as moderators in this relation with the belief that those moderators would exert a different influence for males and females. The study was conducted with a sample of 238 adolescents (166 males, 72 females) ages 16 to 19 attending a voluntary military style residential program. Analyses demonstrated a general lack of support for the central hypotheses of the present study. There was a significant interaction between negative parenting and callousness for predicting delinquency, such that participants with both high levels of callousness and negative parenting reported the highest levels of delinquency. 1n addition, positive parenting differentially moderated the relation between unemotionality and delinquency for males and females. Although the main hypotheses were not supported, the current study demonstrated that gender and parenting practices may impact the relation between particular aspects of CU traits and delinquent behavior.

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