Commentary: An impressive state-of-the-science account and an exciting springboard for new paths: the present and future of research on early conduct problems – a commentary on Hyde et al. (2025)

Abstract

In this commentary on ‘Annual Research Review: Early conduct problems – precursors, outcomes, and etiology’ by Hyde and colleagues, I discuss the strengths of that review and its heuristic value in inspiring future research directions. The review is an impressive, comprehensive, scholarly, and up-to-date broad summary of the current state of developmental science related to conduct problems. By embracing biopsychosocial/ecological perspective and reviewing constructs and processes across multiple levels, it has a cutting-edge quality and scope. But perhaps even more importantly, it is heuristically fertile: It inspires new compelling questions and can potentially forge new bridges with other perspectives and areas of research. I discuss two such new directions that can complement – without contradicting – the authors' ideas. One, I argue for expanding the focus to relational experiences and parents' and children's emerging representations in the first years of life to elucidate very early origins of maladaptive cascades leading to conduct problems. And two, I suggest complementing the current emphasis on adverse developmental factors – a natural focus in the study of conduct problems – with research on positive socialization forces that can act as powerful buffers against risks for antisocial behavior.