Eisen, M; (2015) Error-monitoring in antisocial youth with and without callous unemotional traits: an event–related potential study. Doctoral thesis , UCL (University College London).

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Abstract

Antisocial behaviour is a subject of considerable clinical and research interest, especially when it is associated with psychopathy. This thesis aimed to explore the role of outcome monitoring and processing in such behaviour, by examining it in individuals with and without psychopathy. The literature review examined the evidence on psychopathic abnormalities in the processing of reward and punishment. The evidence was reviewed for: an emotional account of such processing; a cognitive/attentional account; and two neural accounts. A review of seventeen studies found evidence for both the emotional processing and cognitive/attentional accounts, and for one of the neural accounts. These three accounts are all compatible with one another, and so the evidence may indicate more than one abnormality in psychopathic reward and punishment processing. The empirical study tested the relations in young people between externalising/antisocial behaviour, psychopathic traits, and the error-related negativity – an event-related potential component related to error-monitoring. 34 antisocial/externalising and 39 control adolescents were tested using a combined flanker/Go/No-Go task. As predicted, the externalising group showed a reduced negativity after errors and, within the externalising group, psychopathic traits were associated with reduced negativity after errors. The critical appraisal noted the challenges of the research process, and considered the academic and clinical implications of the findings.

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