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15-07-2019 | Original Article

Longitudinal Relationships Between Reflective Functioning, Empathy, and Externalizing Behaviors During Adolescence and Young Adulthood

Auteurs: Larisa Morosan, Paolo Ghisletta, Deborah Badoud, Elodie Toffel, Stephan Eliez, Martin Debbané

Gepubliceerd in: Child Psychiatry & Human Development | Uitgave 1/2020

Abstract

Reflective functioning (RF) refers to the understanding of one’s own and others’ behaviors in terms of mental states, whereas empathy entails the abilities to understand (cognitive empathy) and to share (affective empathy) the emotions of others. Low RF and low empathy have been previously related to externalizing behaviors, such as aggression and rule breaking. However, few longitudinal studies have simultaneously examined the relationships between these variables during adolescence. The aim of the present study is to investigate the longitudinal effects of both RF and empathy on potential changes in externalizing behaviors over time, in a group of 103 adolescents and young adults from the general population assessed repeatedly up to four times. We conducted multilevel analysis in order to examine the effects of RF and empathy on the initial levels and the trajectories of externalizing behaviors over time, while accounting for other variables previously associated with externalizing behaviors, such as age, gender, internalizing problems, and cognitive abilities. The results suggest that the ability to reflect on behaviors in terms of mental states predicted a sharper decrease in externalizing behaviors over time. Moreover, externalizing behaviors at the first assessment were associated with RF impairments and low affective empathy. Age, gender, cognitive abilities, and cognitive empathy were not associated with externalizing behaviors. We discuss how our results, based on a typically developing population, might inform primary or indicated prevention strategies for externalizing behaviors by focusing on socio-cognitive processes such as RF and affective empathy.

vorige artikel Adolescent Homelessness and Associated Features: Prevalence and Risk Across Eight States

volgende artikel Emotion Dysregulation, ODD and Conduct Problems in a Sample of Five and Six-Year-Old Children

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Titel: Longitudinal Relationships Between Reflective Functioning, Empathy, and Externalizing Behaviors During Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Auteurs: Larisa Morosan
Paolo Ghisletta
Deborah Badoud
Elodie Toffel
Stephan Eliez
Martin Debbané
Publicatiedatum: 15-07-2019
Uitgeverij: Springer US
Gepubliceerd in: Child Psychiatry & Human Development / Uitgave 1/2020
Print ISSN: 0009-398X
Elektronisch ISSN: 1573-3327
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-019-00910-8

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