Sensitivity to teachers' punishment and social affiliation with teachers: Unique and interactive effects to callous-unemotional traits among preadolescents

This study tested the unique and interactive effects of sensitivity to teachers' punishment and social affiliation with teachers to callous-unemotional traits in a community sample of 695 middle school students (352 girls, 50.65 %; M age = 12.90 years, SD = 0.91 years). Over and above gender, school grade, and levels of both internalizing and externalizing problems, sensitivity to teachers' punishment and affiliation with teachers were uniquely and negatively associated to callous-unemotional traits. Moreover, a significant interaction term suggested that higher levels of sensitivity to teachers' punishment were negatively associated to callous-unemotional traits especially at low (versus high) levels of dissatisfaction with teachers. Emerged results were read in light of the recent Sensitivity to Threat and Affiliative Reward (STAR) Model.