Assessing Callous Unemotional Traits in Children Aged 7- to 12-Years: A Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Inventory of Callous Unemotional Traits

• DOI: 10.1007/s10862-012-9324-3
• Publication Date: 2012-10-10T22:18:27Z
• Authors: Stephen Houghton; Simon C. Hunter; Jedda Crow
• Keywords: Measurement Invariance

This study examined the factor structure of the Inventory of Callous and Unemotional Traits (ICU) with 268 Australian children aged 7.6 to 12.8 years of age. The ICU was initially subjected to item analysis, which resulted in the removal of 4 of its 24 items. Model fit indices from a confirmatory factor analysis showed mixed support for a three-factor model. To improve fit the item descriptors were reviewed and nine pairs of errors subsequently correlated. A two-factor model comprising one Uncaring and one Callous Unemotional factor represented a satisfactory solution for the data. This model was invariant across gender and age with respect to both factor loadings and factor variances. There was a small significant effect, with older children evidencing higher scores on Uncaring than younger children.