Perceived positive outcomes as a mediator between adolescent callous-unemotional traits and antisocial behavior

• Examined perceived positive outcomes, CU traits, and behavior problems.
• Results showed a mediational role of perceived positive outcomes.
• Anxiety moderated the relation between perceived positive outcomes and CU traits.

This study investigated perceived positive outcomes as a mediator of the relation between callous-unemotional (CU) traits and antisocial behavior (i.e., delinquency, aggression) and the potential moderational influence of anxiety in that model. Participants were 149 adolescents, ages 16–19 years (124 males, 25 females) in a residential setting. Perceived positive outcomes for antisocial behavior mediated the relation between CU traits (callousness and uncaring) and such behaviors. Additionally, anxiety had a moderating effect on the relation between callousness and perception of positive outcomes, and the indirect effect of callousness on antisocial behavior was conditional based on varying levels of anxiety. These results suggest a potential mechanism through which CU traits are associated with adolescent behavioral problems.