Running head: EARLY INTERVENTION FOR ADOLESCENTS WITH CONDUCT DISORDER 1 Are Interventions the Savior for Future Psychopathy in Adolescents with Conduct Disorder? Kyrsten Belini College of Saint Elizabeth EARLY INTERVENTION FOR ADOLESCENTS WITH CONDUCT DISORDER

The proposed study will investigate whether the Allen, Salekin, and Tippey (AST) Intervention has an effect on psychopathic traits, positive-emotions, and motivation to change in adolescents who have conduct disorder. The research will include a convenience sample of 150 adolescents at a secure residential treatment facility in Northern New Jersey who are diagnosed with conduct disorder. It is predicted that the adolescents with conduct disorder who were administered Helping the Non-compliant Child (HNC) Intervention, between the ages of 3-8, along with the AST Intervention (group-one), will exhibit a larger decrease of psychopathic traits and a greater increase of positive-emotions and motivation to change than the adolescents with conduct disorder who were not administered the HNC intervention, between the ages of 3-8, and only administered the AST Intervention (group-two). This research will provide valuable information and insight on interventions for adolescents with conduct disorder. These interventions will aid adolescents by decreasing their psychopathic features and increasing their positive-emotions and motivation to change. This study will contribute to the knowledge found in previous research on early interventions that help adolescents with conduct disorder decrease their chances of having psychopathy when they reach adulthood.