30 adolescents who showed many conduct problems used more extreme rating categories and fewer of the available categories than 30 adolescents with few conduct problems when they rated their enjoyment of audiovisual stimuli. Contrary to the predictions of Cleckley's motivation-deficit theory, the strategies for rating emotion used by 15 adolescents with conduct problems were not changed by exposure to a highly arousing stimulus. An alternative explanation of cognitive differentiation is discussed.
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