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Executive cognitive functioning, temperament, and antisocial behavior in conduct-disordered adolescent females.

Author
Abstract
:

The authors assessed whether low executive cognitive functioning (ECF) and a difficult temperament are related to aggressive and nonaggressive forms of antisocial behavior (ASB) in 249, 14-18-year-old, conduct-disordered females and controls. ECF was measured using neuropsychological tests; temperament was measured using the Dimensions of Temperament Survey-revised; and ASB was assessed using psychiatric symptom counts for conduct disorder. The conduct-disordered females exhibited lower ECF capacity and a greater difficult temperament compared with the controls. The combined influence of low ECF and difficult temperament was significantly related to both forms of ASB. In comparison with low ECF, difficult temperament was more strongly related to nonaggressive ASB, whereas in comparison with difficult temperament, low ECF was more strongly related to aggressive ASB. Last, ECF mediated the relation between difficult temperament and aggressive ASB.

Year of Publication
:
1998
Journal
:
Journal of abnormal psychology
Volume
:
107
Issue
:
4
Number of Pages
:
629-41
ISSN Number
:
0021-843X
URL
:
http://content.apa.org/journals/abn/107/4/629
Short Title
:
J Abnorm Psychol
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