Social desirability, conduct disorder and callous-unemotional: a correlational study in Mexican adolescents

The main purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between social desirability (SD), conduct disorder (CD) and callous unemotional (CU).. A total of 150 adolescents between 13 and 17 years of age (47% female and 53% male) participated in the study, and two groups were formed (with and without probable CD). The Need for Social Approval Scale (ENAS), the Conduct Disorder Screening Questionnaire (CDTC), and the Emotional Insensitivity Trait Inventory (IRIE) were applied. It was observed that the level of total SD was significantly lower in the group with probable CT; also, a low negative relationship between the ENAS total score and the CDTC scores, and negative and moderate ones with the IRIE. In conclusion, a negative, albeit low, relationship was observed between SD and CT, and moderate to negative with CE. The relationships between variables were modified by age and gender.