ASPD Human Development and Behavior 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which attachment style in infancy is most consistently linked to later antisocial behavior patterns?
- Secure attachment
- Anxious-ambivalent attachment
- Disorganized attachment (Correct answer)
- Avoidant attachment
Correct answer: Disorganized attachment
Disorganized attachment, often resulting from frightening or abusive caregiving, is most strongly associated with later antisocial and aggressive behavior.
Question 2: At what developmental stage does the capacity for empathy typically begin to emerge in children?
- Around 6 months
- Around 18–24 months (Correct answer)
- Around 4–5 years
- Around 7–8 years
Correct answer: Around 18–24 months
Rudimentary empathy begins emerging around 18–24 months as toddlers show distress at others' distress and attempt to comfort.
Question 3: According to behavioral genetics research, what is the approximate heritability estimate for ASPD?
- 10–20%
- 30–40%
- 50–70% (Correct answer)
- 85–95%
Correct answer: 50–70%
Twin studies estimate the heritability of ASPD at approximately 50–70%, indicating a substantial genetic contribution alongside environmental factors.
Question 4: The 'dual taxonomy' proposed by Terrie Moffitt distinguishes which two developmental pathways to antisocial behavior?
- Reactive vs. proactive aggression
- Life-course-persistent vs. adolescence-limited antisocial behavior (Correct answer)
- Primary vs. secondary psychopathy
- Overt vs. covert conduct disorder
Correct answer: Life-course-persistent vs. adolescence-limited antisocial behavior
Moffitt's dual taxonomy separates life-course-persistent offenders (early onset, neuropsychological deficits) from adolescence-limited offenders (peer-influenced, temporary).
Question 5: Which brain region's reduced volume and activity has been most replicated in neuroimaging studies of individuals with ASPD?
- Hippocampus
- Cerebellum
- Prefrontal cortex (Correct answer)
- Occipital lobe
Correct answer: Prefrontal cortex
Reduced prefrontal cortex volume and activity is the most consistently replicated neuroimaging finding in ASPD, implicating impulse control and moral reasoning deficits.
Question 6: In developmental psychopathology, what does the term 'equifinality' mean in the context of ASPD?
- All children with ASPD had identical childhoods
- Multiple different developmental paths can lead to the same disorder (Correct answer)
- ASPD always leads to the same adult outcome
- Genetics and environment contribute equally to ASPD
Correct answer: Multiple different developmental paths can lead to the same disorder
Equifinality means that diverse developmental pathways—different combinations of risk factors—can converge on the same disorder outcome like ASPD.
Question 7: Which parenting practice has the STRONGEST empirical support for reducing conduct problems in children at risk for ASPD?
- Authoritarian strict discipline
- Parent Management Training (PMT) (Correct answer)
- Psychoanalytic play therapy
- Social skills groups alone
Correct answer: Parent Management Training (PMT)
Parent Management Training, which teaches consistent reinforcement and discipline strategies, has the strongest evidence base for reducing conduct problems in at-risk children.
ASPD Human Development and Behavior 2
Which attachment style in infancy is most consistently linked to later antisocial behavior patterns?