Amygdala as a potential biological mechanism in callous-uncaring traits: A critical review

Amygdala as a potential biological mechanism in callous-uncaring traits: A critical review

Suchika Siotia, Kelly Walk, Tiffany Field

Fielding Graduate University

Externalizing behavior and psychopathy in early childhood are considered precursors to adolescent delinquency and criminal behavior. Psychopathic characteristics in adults consist of callousness, lack of empathy, shallowness, and impulsivity (Hare et al., 2000). A key trait associated with externalizing behaviors of children with a high callous-unemotional (CU) score is insensitivity to the sadness of others. CU characteristics are associated with a hypoactive amygdala, which has been found to modify the association between CU characteristics and externalizing tendencies (Saxbe et al., 2018). This paper analyses and synthesizes scholarly research articles and provides a critical review of the current state of this field of research.

Keywords: callous-unemotional (CU), Amydala

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How to cite this article:

Suchika Siotia, Kelly Walk, Tiffany Field. Amygdala as a potential biological mechanism in callous-uncaring traits: A critical review. International Journal of Psychological Research and Reviews, 2022, 5:65. DOI: 10.28933/ijprr-2022-11-1005sskw

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