| The present study examined processing differences that may exist between children with and without disruptive behavior disorders (DBD) when viewing victim suffering. Specifically, this study examined the nonverbal reactions of children with DBD to three violent movie scenes and compared them to the reactions of children with no psychopathology (ND). Twenty-three participants met criteria for the DBD group and 24 met criteria for the ND group. Videos of participants were coded for facial expressions indicative of distress, concern, and stimulus regulation. Reaction scores were compared using a two-way, mixed design ANOVA. There was an interaction between diagnosis and time for concern during one violent movie scene and a main effect of time on concern during another violent scene. Results are thought to be due to differences in the scenes' portrayal of suffering, suggesting children in the DBD group were less likely to recognize more subtle communication of suffering. |
