Family Conflict, Dyadic Cooperation and Reciprocity within the Parent-Child Relationship, and Young Children's Callous-Unemotional Behaviors

Early callous-unemotional behaviors increase risk for later antisocial behavior. We examined associations among family conflict, mother-child reciprocity and cooperation, and callous-unemotional behaviors among three year-olds. Reciprocity and cooperation attenuated the association between family conflict and callous-unemotional behaviors, underscoring the importance of strengthening the early dyadic relationship in families experiencing conflict.