Vincent Bégin

Université de Sherbrooke | UdeS · Department of Psychoeducation

Original definitions of psychopathy suggest the existence of two variants that present with distinct clinical features among antisocial adults, but whether these clinical differences originate early in life or emerge at some point during childhood remains uncertain. We examined if primary and secondary variants follow distinct developmental traject...

Background: This study aimed to identify perinatal and early-life factors associated with trajectories of psychopathic traits across childhood. Methods: Participants were 1631 children (51.5% girls) from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development. A wide range of perinatal and early-life factors were assessed from pregnancy to age 2.5 ye...

This study examined the longitudinal contribution of four different childcare arrangements attended during the preschool years to social behaviors and academic achievement up to age 15 years. Children participating in a Canadian longitudinal survey with available information on childcare attendance between ages 3 and 5 years (N = 6,852) were measur...

We identified mental health outcomes associated with specific developmental trajectories of psychopathic traits across childhood and tested whether positive relationships with parents and teachers have compensatory or protective effects. Participants were 1401 children (52.82% girls) from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development with avai...

This registered report is a conceptual replication of the study conducted by Wilson, Hopwood, McGue, and Iacono (2019) which showed that distinct latent personality profiles in adolescents with disruptive behavior disorders differed on key functioning variables. The present study included 206 adolescents (M = 17.25; SD = 0.95) with borderline clini...

The intergenerational transmission of low educational attainment is well-documented, but little is known about how behavioral problems in childhood explain this association. Drawing upon a population-based cohort study (n = 3020) linked to administrative records, we investigated the extent to which inattentive, internalizing, externalizing, and pro...

Background: Callous-unemotional (CU) traits (e.g., lack of empathy and guilt, deficient affect) have been associated with severe and persistent patterns of conduct problems and antisocial behaviour as well as with poorer treatment outcomes. They are now a specifier to the diagnosis of conduct disorder. Objective: To examine the associations betw...

Introduction Childhood conduct problems (CP) are characterized by maladaptive externalizing behaviors and are linked with poor sleep. CP are highly comorbid with other psychological problems, including attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and depression, which are also associated with disturbed sleep. The present study examined if childhood CP...

School dropout can be an ongoing process of academic failure and disengagement starting as early as elementary school. Given the importance of early identification of risk factors, the present study examines (a) whether early conduct problems and depressive symptoms predict a higher risk of school dropout, (b) whether depressive symptoms moderate t...

Classroom placement of twins is an ongoing issue for educational policy. Many educational jurisdictions have standard policy most commonly founded in the belief that separation supports individual identity, personal development and academic opportunity. This study examined the effects of classroom placement in a sample of 560 twin pairs whose behav...

Introduction Children with conduct problems (CP) exhibit problematic externalizing behaviors that violate the rights of others and/or societal norms, are likely to present with comorbid psychological problems, engage in high-risk behaviours during adolescence and in turn, display poorer prospective health in adulthood. However, little known about t...

The three dimensions of psychopathic traits in childhood predict high levels of conduct problems. Theoretical conceptions suggest that, in addition to predicting the onset of conduct problems, traits also contribute to their developmental pathways. However, little is known about the associations between the trajectories of the three dimensions of p...

The clinical relevance of using a multi-informant approach to assess behavioral problems in youths is well established. However, empirical studies have consistently shown weak agreement across informants (parents, teachers, youths). Moreover, there is no consensus regarding the most valid strategy for combining informant reports to assess these pro...

Objective Clinicians may specify the diagnosis of conduct disorder (CD) as “with limited prosocial emotions” (LPE). This specifier is thought to identify youths with particularly severe and stable symptomatology. However, few studies have examined the clinical usefulness of the LPE specifier among children with childhood-onset CD. The current study...

The three dimensions of psychopathic traits in childhood have been consistently associated with high levels of conduct problems among children. However, little is known about the continuity and change in psychopathic traits among children with conduct problems. This study aimed to examine the homotypic continuity and change of the three dimensions...

Early onset conduct problems (CP) are at high risk of persistence throughout childhood. In addition, previous research has suggested that CP are at higher risk of persistence when they co-occur with psychopathic traits. Among the three dimensions of psychopathic traits in children (callous-unemotional, narcissism, and impulsivity), research has mai...