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Sica C, Caudek C, Bottesi G, Colpizzi I, Malerba A, Patrick CJ. Triarchic Model of Psychopathy and Intimate Partner Violence: An Empirical Study on the Italian Community. JOURNAL OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE 2024; 39:1448-1472. [PMID: 37876207 DOI: 10.1177/08862605231207620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2023]
Abstract
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious and recurrent phenomenon in many societies with severe physical and psychological consequences. In the present study, we aimed to explore the role of triarchic dimensions of psychopathy (disinhibition, boldness, and meanness) across gender in this occurrence. A questionnaire on inflicted (self) and experienced (partner) IPV and the Triarchic Psychopathy Measure were administered to a sample of 1,149 individuals from the Italian community. In general, self and partner IPV were moderately correlated. Bayesian regression analysis showed that disinhibition was positively correlated to both self and partner IPV (psychological and physical). In addition, boldness was negatively associated with perpetrated psychological IPV. Interactions by gender showed that meanness was positively related to perpetrated IPV in women (psychological and physical), whereas men with disinhibition features inflicted more physical violence than women. A high externalizing tendency (i.e., disinhibition) is therefore an important correlate of both perpetrated and reported IPV; moreover, boldness was associated with less psychological violence in general, whereas the effect of meanness depended on the gender of the individuals involved. Interestingly, the association between IPV and self-reported delinquent activities was low in magnitude (Spearman's Rho around .20) suggesting limited overlap between these two constructs.
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Mohajerin B, Howard RC. Effects of two treatments on interpersonal, affective, and lifestyle features of psychopathy and emotion dysregulation. Personal Ment Health 2024; 18:43-59. [PMID: 37799055 DOI: 10.1002/pmh.1593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated the relative efficacy of Mentalization-based therapy (MBT) and United Protocol (UP) in reducing symptoms of psychopathy and emotion dysregulation in a sample of Iranian community residents with concurrent diagnoses of antisocial and borderline personality disorders (PDs). Interpersonal, affective, and lifestyle features of psychopathy were measured post-treatment and at 6-, 12-, 18-, 24-, and 36-months follow-up using the 13-item version of the Psychopathy Revised-Checklist (PCL-R), which excluded, by design, criminal history features. Emotion dysregulation was measured using the Deficits in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) developed by Gratz and Roemer (2004). After treatment, both UP- and MBT-treated individuals showed significantly fewer features of psychopathy and significantly less emotion dysregulation. Compared with those treated with MBT, UP-treated individuals showed significantly less emotion dysregulation in all DERS subscales and a greater reduction in psychopathy features, particularly affective features. It is suggested that this likely reflected the particular emphasis placed by UP on improving emotional self-regulation and facilitating the therapeutic alliance. These results suggest that, despite the traditional pessimism that surrounds psychopathic individuals' treatability, they can be successfully treated.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Richard Charles Howard
- Psychiatry/Institute of Mental Health, University of Nottingham, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
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López-Romero L, Cutrín O, Maneiro L, Salekin RT. Proposed Specifiers for Conduct Disorder-Short Version (PSCD-SV): Psychometric Properties, Concurrent Correlates and Parenting Predictors. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 2023; 54:1258-1273. [PMID: 35212858 PMCID: PMC10435417 DOI: 10.1007/s10578-022-01335-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The present study aims to further examine the four-factor model of psychopathy in adolescence with a new alternate model for the assessment of psychopathic traits and conduct disorder (CD): The Proposed Specifiers for Conduct Disorder-Short version (PSCD-SV). Data were collected in a sample of 414 adolescents (49.2% females) aged 12-15 at the first assessment who were then followed-up 2 years later. Results supported the usefulness of the PSCD-SV to assess the broader construct of psychopathy showing good psychometric properties, including adequate reliability and validity, while accounting for all its dimensions. In addition, the study showed close associations between psychopathic traits and adolescent behavioral, emotional and psychosocial maladjustment. Finally, the findings elucidated the PSCD's connection to parental support and psychological control, and reinforced the potential role of parenting practices as predictors that can act as mechanisms of change in the development of psychopathy. Overall, current findings shed light on conceptual and developmental models of psychopathy that may have implications for assessment, diagnostic classification, prevention, and intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura López-Romero
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Facultad de Psicología, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Campus Sur, 15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
| | - Olalla Cutrín
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Facultad de Psicología, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Campus Sur, 15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Lorena Maneiro
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Facultad de Psicología, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Campus Sur, 15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- Institute of Education and Child Studies, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Randall T Salekin
- Department of Psychology, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, USA
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Ruchensky JR, Bauer EA, Edens JF, MacNamara A. Triarchic psychopathy and affective picture processing: An event-related potential study. Biol Psychol 2023; 182:108628. [PMID: 37429538 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2023.108628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 04/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
Psychopathy and its precursors appear to be associated with abnormal affective response. For example, individuals high in psychopathy show reduced psychophysiological response to unpleasant stimuli, which might explain low levels of empathy in psychopathic individuals, and their pursuit of individual goals without regard for others' wellbeing. In keeping with the notion that psychopathology is best represented on a continuum, the triarchic model suggests that psychopathy is characterized by elevations on three traits: boldness, meanness and disinhibition. Understanding how these traits relate to psychophysiological response to emotional stimuli would help validate the triarchic model, while also bridging to other psychopathological spectra (e.g., internalizing psychopathology, which is characterized by low boldness). Here, N = 123 young adults passively viewed unpleasant, pleasant and neutral pictures while subjective and electrocortical response were recorded. Controlling for the other triarchic traits, individuals with higher self-reported meanness had smaller late positive potentials (LPPs) to both pleasant and unpleasant pictures, whereas individuals higher in boldness had larger LPPs to unpleasant pictures. In addition, those higher in meanness rated unpleasant pictures as more pleasant and less emotionally arousing. Disinhibition was not associated with the LPP or ratings. Meanness appears to drive blunted response to unpleasant pictures that has previously been observed among those high on psychopathy, and may also be associated with reduced engagement with generic pleasant stimuli. Moreover, results converge with prior work on other traits of transdiagnostic relevance (e.g., extraversion), as well as internalizing symptoms, providing a bridge between psychopathy and other forms of psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jared R Ruchensky
- Department of Psychology & Philosophy, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX, USA.
| | - Elizabeth A Bauer
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - John F Edens
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Annmarie MacNamara
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
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van de Groep IH, Bos MGN, Popma A, Crone EA, Jansen LMC. A neurocognitive model of early onset persistent and desistant antisocial behavior in early adulthood. Front Hum Neurosci 2023; 17:1100277. [PMID: 37533586 PMCID: PMC10392129 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2023.1100277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023] Open
Abstract
It remains unclear which functional and neurobiological mechanisms are associated with persistent and desistant antisocial behavior in early adulthood. We reviewed the empirical literature and propose a neurocognitive social information processing model for early onset persistent and desistant antisocial behavior in early adulthood, focusing on how young adults evaluate, act upon, monitor, and learn about their goals and self traits. Based on the reviewed literature, we propose that persistent antisocial behavior is characterized by domain-general impairments in self-relevant and goal-related information processing, regulation, and learning, which is accompanied by altered activity in fronto-limbic brain areas. We propose that desistant antisocial development is associated with more effortful information processing, regulation and learning, that possibly balances self-relevant goals and specific situational characteristics. The proposed framework advances insights by considering individual differences such as psychopathic personality traits, and specific emotional characteristics (e.g., valence of social cues), to further illuminate functional and neural mechanisms underlying heterogenous developmental pathways. Finally, we address important open questions and offer suggestions for future research to improve scientific knowledge on general and context-specific expression and development of antisocial behavior in early adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilse H. van de Groep
- Erasmus School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychosocial Care, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Marieke G. N. Bos
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Arne Popma
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychosocial Care, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Amsterdam Public Health, Mental Health, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Eveline A. Crone
- Erasmus School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Lucres M. C. Jansen
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychosocial Care, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Amsterdam Public Health, Mental Health, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Huang Y, Gan X, Jin X, Rao S, Guo B, He Z, Wei Z. The relationship between the Dark Triad and bullying among Chinese adolescents: the role of social exclusion and sense of control. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1173860. [PMID: 37492446 PMCID: PMC10363691 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1173860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Abundant evidence has proved the association between the Dark Triad and bullying. However, the underlying mechanisms of this relationship are still not fully understood. Based on the temporal need-threat model, three studies were designed to explore the mediating role of social exclusion and sense of control in this research. Methods In study 1 we recruited 571 Chinese adolescents (Mage = 14.53, SD = 0.716) to participate in a cross-sectional study. And two experiments were respectively designed in Study 2 (N = 88) and Study 3 (N = 102) to verify the effects of real and cyber social exclusion on adolescent bullying behavior. Results Study 1 showed that social exclusion and sense of control would play the serial mediating role in the relationship between the Dark Triad and bullying (except social exclusion as a mediator between the Dark Triad and cyberbullying). Study 2 and 3 showed that adolescents with high Dark Triad show lower sense of control and more bullying behavior after experiencing social exclusion. Discussion These findings extend the research on the Dark Triad and bullying by providing a solid empirical foundation and intervention strategies to avoid bullying so that the problem can be rationally and scientifically approached.
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Campos C, Rocha NB, Barbosa F. Dissociating cognitive and affective empathy across psychopathy dimensions: The role of interoception and alexithymia. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1082965. [PMID: 37457066 PMCID: PMC10345207 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1082965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
This study examined the associations between psychopathy dimensions (triarchic phenotypes and classical factors), empathy domains (cognitive and affective), and interoception (interoceptive attention and accuracy) while accounting for the putative role of alexithymia. A community sample (n = 515) completed an online survey encompassing: Triarchic Psychopathy Measure (boldness, meanness, disinhibition); Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale (primary and secondary psychopathy); Body Perception Questionnaire (interoceptive attention); Interoceptive Accuracy Scale; Toronto Alexithymia Scale. Hierarchical linear regression models were implemented for hypothesis-driven analyses examining the associations between psychopathy, empathy, and interoception while controlling for sex, age, and alexithymia. Exploratory path models were employed to investigate alexithymia and/or cognitive empathy as mediators between interoception and psychopathy. Our results largely confirmed the postulated empathy profiles across psychopathy dimensions, as meanness and primary psychopathy displayed a broad empathy impairment, while disinhibition and secondary psychopathy were only associated with diminished cognitive empathy. Importantly, boldness displayed a unique pattern (enhanced cognitive empathy and reduced affective empathy), further reinforcing its importance within the constellation of psychopathy traits. Contrary to our hypotheses, self-perceived interoceptive attention and accuracy were not associated with either psychopathy dimension after controlling for alexithymia. However, interoceptive accuracy and alexithymia were associated with cognitive empathy, while alexithymia was also positively related to all psychopathy dimensions (as expected), despite the unexpected strong and negative association with boldness. Exploratory analyses suggested significant indirect effects (mediation) between interoceptive accuracy and psychopathy via alexithymia and/or cognitive empathy. These mediating effects must be interpreted with caution and future studies should be designed to formally test this model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Campos
- Laboratory of Neuropsychophysiology, Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Neurocognition Group|LabRP, School of Health, Center for Rehabilitation Research, Polytechnic University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Nuno Barbosa Rocha
- School of Health, Center for Translational Health and Medical Biotechnology Research, Polytechnic University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Fernando Barbosa
- Laboratory of Neuropsychophysiology, Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
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Bellamy NA, Salekin RT, Makol BA, Augenstein TM, De Los Reyes A. The Proposed Specifiers for Conduct Disorder - Parent (PSCD-P): Convergent Validity, Incremental Validity, and Reactions to Unfamiliar Peer Confederates. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol 2023:10.1007/s10802-023-01056-x. [PMID: 37097378 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-023-01056-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023]
Abstract
Youth who experience psychopathy display multiple impairments across interpersonal (grandiose-manipulative [GM]), affective (callous-unemotional [CU]), lifestyle (daring-impulsive [DI]), and potentially antisocial and behavioral features. Recently, it has been acknowledged that the inclusion of psychopathic features can offer valuable information in relation to the etiology of Conduct Disorder (CD). Yet, prior work largely focuses on the affective component of psychopathy, namely CU. This focus creates uncertainty in the literature on the incremental value of a multicomponent approach to understanding CD-linked domains. Consequently, researchers developed the Proposed Specifiers for Conduct Disorder (PSCD; Salekin & Hare, 2016) as a multicomponent approach to assess GM, CU, and DI features in combination with CD symptoms. The notion of considering the wider set of psychopathic features for CD specification requires testing whether multiple personality dimensions predict domain-relevant criterion outcomes above-and-beyond a CU-based approach. Thus, we tested the psychometric properties of parents' reports on the PSCD (PSCD-P) in a mixed clinical/community sample of 134 adolescents (Mage = 14.49, 66.4% female). Confirmatory factor analyses resulted in a 19-item PSCD-P displaying acceptable reliability estimates and a bifactor solution consisting of GM, CU, DI, and CD factors. Findings supported the incremental validity of scores taken from the PSCD-P across multiple criterion variables, including (a) an established survey measure of parent-adolescent conflict; and (b) trained independent observers' ratings of adolescents' behavioral reactions to laboratory controlled tasks designed to simulate social interactions with unfamiliar peers. These findings have important implications for future research on the PSCD and links to adolescents' interpersonal functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas A Bellamy
- Comprehensive Assessment and Intervention Program, Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, Biology/Psychology Building, Room 3123H, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Randall T Salekin
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
| | - Bridget A Makol
- Comprehensive Assessment and Intervention Program, Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, Biology/Psychology Building, Room 3123H, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Tara M Augenstein
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Andres De Los Reyes
- Comprehensive Assessment and Intervention Program, Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, Biology/Psychology Building, Room 3123H, College Park, MD, 20742, USA.
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Peng J, Lu H, Zhang J, Yuan W, Fang P, Tian J, Wang L. Parental attachment and emotional intelligence mediates the effect of childhood maltreatment on callous-unemotional traits among incarcerated male adolescents. Sci Rep 2022; 12:21214. [PMID: 36481798 PMCID: PMC9731963 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-25285-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to examine the impact of childhood maltreatment on callous-unemotional (CU) traits among incarcerated male adolescents, focusing primarily on the roles of parental attachment and emotional intelligence. A total of 454 male incarcerated adolescents from two juvenile correctional facilities, ranging in age from 14 to 18 years, completed a set of questionnaires consisting of a childhood trauma questionnaire, parent-attachment scale, emotional intelligence scale, and the Inventory of CU traits. The results revealed that childhood maltreatment, parental attachment, and emotional intelligence were all correlated with CU traits. Structural equation modeling analysis and the bootstrap test indicated that parental attachment and emotional intelligence mediated, in part, the effect of childhood maltreatment on CU traits. These findings expand the outcomes of previous research and shed light on how childhood maltreatment is related to CU traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaxi Peng
- School of Psychology, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China
| | - Huijie Lu
- Department of Military Medical Psychology, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jiaxi Zhang
- Xi'an Research Institute of High-Technology, Xi'an, China
| | - Weizhuo Yuan
- School of Psychology, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China
| | - Peng Fang
- Department of Military Medical Psychology, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | | | - Lei Wang
- Department of Medical Psychology, Strategic Support Force Medical Center, Beijing, China.
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Guo P, Yin Z, Cheng C, Wang M, Su S. The utility of TriPM in distinguishing psychopathic subtypes: A latent profiles analysis in Chinese undergraduates. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-022-03242-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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11
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Colins OF, Bisback A, Reculé C, Batky BD, López-Romero L, Hare RD, Salekin RT. The Proposed Specifiers for Conduct Disorder (PSCD) Scale: Factor Structure and Validation of the Self-Report Version in a Forensic Sample of Belgian Youth. Assessment 2022; 30:1302-1320. [PMID: 35575157 DOI: 10.1177/10731911221094256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
This is the first study to test the psychometric properties of the self-report version of the Proposed Specifiers for Conduct Disorder (PSCD) in detained youth. The PSCD is a measure of the broad psychopathy construct, with grandiose-manipulative, callous-unemotional, daring-impulsive, and conduct disorder (CD) components. Participants (227 males) completed the PSCD along with other measures, including a diagnostic interview to assess Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM-5) CD. Results support the PSCD's proposed hierarchical four-factor structure. Correlations with an alternate measure of psychopathy and symptoms of CD support the convergent validity of PSCD scores. PSCD scores showed positive associations with criterion variables of emotional and regulatory functioning, aggression, substance use, and school problems. Finally, PSCD scores were unrelated to anxiety and depression, supporting the PSCD's discriminant validity. Findings indicate that the PSCD is a promising measure for assessing psychopathic traits in detained male adolescents, though its incremental validity is in need of further scrutiny.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Robert D Hare
- The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
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Naor-Ziv R, Glicksohn J, Aluja A. Locating the Dark Triad in a Multidimensional Personality Space. THE SPANISH JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY 2022; 25:e14. [PMID: 35321765 DOI: 10.1017/sjp.2022.11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The Dark Triad traits of Psychopathy, Machiavellianism, and Narcissism should be clearly recognizable within a multidimensional personality space. Two such personality spaces were investigated in this study: HEXACO (Honesty-Humility, Emotionality, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Openness to Experience); and the Zuckerman-Kuhlman-Aluja Personality Questionnaire (ZKA-PQ) space (Extraversion, Neuroticism, Activity, Sensation Seeking, and Aggressiveness). Our sample comprised 289 participants (137 males, 145 females, 7 unspecified) who completed these three questionnaires: HEXACO-60, ZKA-PQ/SF, and the SD3, assessing the Dark Triad. We reduced the dimensionality of each space to that of a 2D representation using Smallest Space Analysis (SSA). Three research questions guided the data analysis: (a) Do the HEXACO and ZKA-PQ SSA spaces conform to the structure of a radex? (b) Will these spaces remain invariant following the entry of the Dark Triad traits into the analyses? (c) Where will the Dark Triad traits be located in each SSA space? For ZKA-PQ space, the structure was clearly indicative of a radex, both prior to entering the Dark Triad traits into the analysis, and subsequent to this. Psychopathy and Machiavellianism were in close proximity in the Aggressiveness region; Narcissism was positioned at the common origin. In contrast, HEXACO space did not conform to a radex; furthermore, the presence of the Dark Triad traits distorts this 2D SSA space.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Anton Aluja
- Universitat de Lleida (Spain)
- Institut de Recerca Biomédica Fundació Dr. Pifarré (Spain)
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Gray NS, McKinnon A, Snowden RJ. A reduction in the pupil's response to affective sounds in psychopathy and related personality traits. Physiol Rep 2022; 10:e15235. [PMID: 35312180 PMCID: PMC8935637 DOI: 10.14814/phy2.15235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The pupil of the eye dilates in response to affective information, even if that information is not visual. We used this affective modulation of the pupil to examine the hypothesis that individuals with high traits of psychopathy have an insensitivity to emotional stimuli. We also examined general personality traits related to psychopathy. A sample of 120 healthy young men had their pupils monitored while they listened to sound clips that conveyed either neutral emotion (e.g., rain), negative emotion (e.g., a person screaming) or positive emotion (e.g., people laughing). Psychopathy and general personality traits were measured via self-report questionnaire. As expected, both the positive and negative emotional sounds produced greater dilation in the pupil size than neutral sounds. This affective modulation of the pupil was found to be reduced for the negative sounds for people high on the "callous/affective" components of psychopathy (the Affective facet of the SRP-4 and the Meanness scale of the TriPM) and the general personality traits of Reward Dependence and Cooperativeness. The results indicate that these callous traits of psychopathy and general personality may be underpinned by a reduction in the ability to effectively process or monitor emotional stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola S. Gray
- Swansea University & Swansea Bay University Health BoardSwanseaUK
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Campos C, Pasion R, Azeredo A, Ramião E, Mazer P, Macedo I, Barbosa F. Refining the link between psychopathy, antisocial behavior, and empathy: A meta-analytical approach across different conceptual frameworks. Clin Psychol Rev 2022; 94:102145. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2022.102145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Revised: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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15
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The dark triad and bullying in adolescence: A three-wave random intercept cross-lagged panel analysis. JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN PERSONALITY 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jrp.2021.104178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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16
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Fear Conditioning Deficits in Children and Adolescents with Psychopathic Traits: a Study in a Clinical Population. JOURNAL OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY AND BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10862-021-09947-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
AbstractDeficits in fear conditioning related to psychopathy have been widely studied in adults. However, evidence in children and adolescents is scarce and inconsistent. This research aimed to expand knowledge about fear conditioning in psychopathy and its dimensions in child and early adolescent clinical populations. Participants were 45 boys (outpatients) aged 6–14 years (M = 10.59, SD = 2.04). They were assessed with the parents’ and teachers’ versions of the Child Problematic Traits Inventory (CPTI). A fear conditioning paradigm (Neumann et al., in Biological Psychology, 79(3), 337–342, 2008) for children and adolescents was used. Conditioned stimuli (CS+ and CS-) were geometric shapes and the unconditioned stimulus (US) was an unpleasant sound of metal scraping on slate (83 dB). Difference scores (CS+ minus CS-) in skin conductance responses (SCR) and self-reported cognitive and affective measures were considered as indices of fear conditioning. Results showed that: a) deficits in fear conditioning were related to some psychopathy dimensions but not to psychopathy as a unitary construct; b) the Impulsivity-Need for Stimulation dimension was a predictor of impaired fear conditioning at a cognitive level; c) the interaction of Callous-Unemotional and Impulsivity-Need for Stimulation dimensions was a significant predictor of impaired electrodermal fear conditioning; d) by contrast, the Grandiose-Deceitful dimension, was marginally associated with a greater electrodermal fear conditioning. In conclusion, psychopathy dimensions and their interactions, but not psychopathy as a whole, predicted deficits in fear conditioning as measured by SCR and cognitive indices. These findings confirm the notion that psychopathic traits are associated with deficits in fear conditioning in child and adolescent clinical populations and provide support for a multidimensional approach to youth psychopathy.
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Introduction to the Special Section: What Do We Know About the Psychophysiology of Child Psychopathy and Conduct Problems? JOURNAL OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY AND BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10862-021-09950-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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Davis AC, Brittain H, Arnocky S, Vaillancourt T. Longitudinal Associations Between Primary and Secondary Psychopathic Traits, Delinquency, and Current Dating Status in Adolescence. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY 2022; 20:14747049211068670. [PMID: 35072531 PMCID: PMC10496107 DOI: 10.1177/14747049211068670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 10/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Many have examined the desirability and mate competition tactics of adults higher on psychopathy using cross-sectional data, but few have studied the longitudinal associations between the lower-order factors of psychopathy (e.g., primary and secondary psychopathy) with indices of mating behavior in adolescents. More work is also needed to unravel how psychopathic youth outcompete rivals for mates. Delinquency has long been associated with dating and sexual behavior in adolescents, which may help to explain the competitive success of youth higher in psychopathic traits in vying for mates. We used cross-lagged panel modeling with three waves of data from a randomly drawn sample of 514 Canadian adolescents who provided annual self-reports of primary and secondary psychopathy, delinquency, and dating involvement from Grades 10 to 12 (15-18 years of age). Constructs were temporally stable. Secondary psychopathy and delinquency had positive within-time correlations with current dating status in Grade 10. A cross-lagged pathway from delinquency to dating involvement was supported from Grade 10 to 11, which replicated from Grade 11 to 12. However, this effect was specific to boys and not girls. An indirect effect also emerged whereby secondary psychopathy in Grade 10 increased the likelihood of being in a dating relationship in Grade 12 via heightened delinquency in Grade 11.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam C. Davis
- Faculty of Education, University of Ottawa, 145 Jean-Jacques-Lussier, Ottawa, Ontario Canada K1N6N5
| | - Heather Brittain
- Faculty of Education, University of Ottawa, 145 Jean-Jacques-Lussier, Ottawa, Ontario Canada K1N6N5
| | - Steven Arnocky
- Department of Psychology, Nipissing University, 100 College Drive, North Bay, Ontario Canada P1B8L7
| | - Tracy Vaillancourt
- Faculty of Education, University of Ottawa, 145 Jean-Jacques-Lussier, Ottawa, Ontario Canada K1N6N5
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Guo P, Wang M, Cheng C, Chen H. Psychopathic dispositions and emotion dysregulation: A dual-disposition model perspective. J Clin Psychol 2021; 78:1170-1183. [PMID: 34735716 DOI: 10.1002/jclp.23274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The Dual-Disposition Model proposes to understand psychopathy through two dispositions (i.e., threat sensitivity and poor inhibitory control) with distinct etiological substrates. In the current study, we examined the predictive contributions of threat sensitivity, poor inhibitory control, and their interaction to emotion dysregulation in 694 Chinese undergraduates based on the Disinhibition subscale of Triarchic Psychopathy Measure, Behavioral Inhibition System Scale, and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale. Our results suggested that two dispositions have independent contributions to emotion dysregulation. Additionally, interactive effects of two dispositions were found for emotion awareness, impulse control, emotional acceptance, and limited emotion regulation strategies when upset. These provide evidence that deficits associated with poor inhibitory control can be selectively suppressed by low threat sensitivity or exacerbated by high threat sensitivity. Training individuals with high psychopathic dispositions to focus on their emotional state might be able to enhance their ability of emotion regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peiyang Guo
- Tianjin University School of Education, Institute of Applied Psychology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Mengya Wang
- Tianjin University School of Education, Institute of Applied Psychology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Cheng Cheng
- Tianjin University School of Education, Institute of Applied Psychology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Hao Chen
- Department of Social Psychology, Zhou Enlai School of Government, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
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Del Hoyo-Bilbao J, Orue I, Calvete E. Interaction of Psychopathic Traits Dimensions in the Prediction of Psychological and Physical Child-to-Parent Violence in Adolescents. JOURNAL OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY AND BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENT 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10862-021-09940-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThis study examined the longitudinal relationships between three psychopathic trait dimensions (callous-unemotional, CU; grandiose-manipulative, GM; and impulsive-irresponsible, II) and their interaction in the prediction of psychological and physical child-to-parent violence (CPV). Furthermore, the study examined whether the predictive relationships were different for boys and girls. A total of 765 adolescents (463 girls), with a mean age of 15.28 years (SD = 1.04), completed measures of the psychopathic trait dimensions (CU, GM, and II) and psychological and physical CPV at the beginning of the study and six months later. At the cross-sectional level, all the psychopathic trait dimensions were related to psychological and physical CPV, although the effect sizes were small. At the longitudinal level, II predicted increased psychological CPV. A significant three-way interaction between the three psychopathic trait dimensions (CU, GM, and II) indicated that the longitudinal association between II and physical CPV was higher for adolescents with high CU and low GM. However, the predictive model did not differ for boys and girls.
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López-Romero L, Romero E, Salekin RT, Andershed H, Colins OF. Studying Configurations of Psychopathic Traits: Exploring the Viability of Psychopathic Personality in Early Childhood. J Pers Disord 2021; 35:97-118. [PMID: 34463532 DOI: 10.1521/pedi_2021_35_538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The idea that very young children can manifest a constellation of personality traits that looks like psychopathy has rarely been explored. To fill this void, data from 2,247 children, aged 3-6 years (M = 4.25; SD = 0.91), from the Estudio Longitudinal para una Infancia Saludable (ELISA) were utilized. Parents and teachers completed questionnaires at baseline and at 1-year follow-up. Using three parent-rated psychopathy dimensions as indicators, the authors conducted latent profile analysis and arrived at five latent classes: Control (39.2%), Impulsive-Need for Stimulation (34.8%), Grandiose-Deceitful (16.5%), Callous-Unemotional (6.2%), and Putative Psychopathic Personality (PP, 3.3%). Children in the PP class, overall, engaged in higher levels of concurrent, future, and stable conduct problems and reactive and proactive aggression, and lower levels of prosocial behavior, as rated by parents or teachers. Findings also revealed meaningful differences between the remaining four classes. Person-oriented analyses seem to offer a fruitful avenue to identify 3-to 6-year-olds who exhibit a putative psychopathic personality and are at risk for future maladjustment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Estrella Romero
- Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | | | | | - Olivier F Colins
- Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden.,Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
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22
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Barrau V, López-Romero L, Bosch R, Torrubia R, Casas M, Molinuevo B. Further Validation of the Spanish Parent-Reported Child Problematic Traits Inventory: Discriminant Validity for Distinguishing Children Vulnerable to Externalizing and Other Psychopathology Conditions. JOURNAL OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY AND BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENT 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10862-021-09921-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Eisenbarth H, Hart CM, Zechmeister J, Kudielka BM, Wüst S. Exploring the differential contribution of boldness, meanness, and disinhibition to explain externalising and internalising behaviours across genders. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-021-02134-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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López-Romero L, Cutrín O, Maneiro L, Domínguez-Álvarez B, Romero E. Psychopathic Traits in Childhood: Insights from Parental Warmth and Fearless Temperament via Conscience Development. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11070923. [PMID: 34356157 PMCID: PMC8304070 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11070923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Revised: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The role of psychopathic traits in predicting more serious and persistent patterns of child conduct problems has been well documented. The jointly presence of interpersonal (grandiose-deceitful), affective (e.g., callous-unemotional), and behavioral psychopathic traits (impulsive-need of stimulation) identifies a group of children at increased risk of psychosocial maladjustment. The present study aims to disentangle the underlying mechanisms by examining how early parenting (i.e., warmth) and child temperament (i.e., fearlessness) predict later psychopathic traits, via conscience development (CD). Data were collected in a large sample of children (n = 2.266; 48.5% girls), aged 3 to 6 at the onset of the study (Mage = 4.25; SD = 0.91), who were followed up one and two years later. The results showed direct effects from fearlessness to interpersonal and behavioral psychopathic traits. Parental warmth, fearless temperament, and their interaction, predicted CD, which, in turn, showed a negative effect on psychopathic traits. The indirect effects indicated significant negative mediation effects of warmth through CD on psychopathic traits, which seem to be stronger when children present lower levels of fearlessness. Overall, these results contribute to better understand the development of child psychopathic traits and provide additional insight on effective strategies that will help to restrain the potential development of a high-risk profile in early childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura López-Romero
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (O.C.); (L.M.); (B.D.-Á.); (E.R.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Olalla Cutrín
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (O.C.); (L.M.); (B.D.-Á.); (E.R.)
| | - Lorena Maneiro
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (O.C.); (L.M.); (B.D.-Á.); (E.R.)
- Institute of Education and Child Studies, Leiden University, 2333 AK Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Beatriz Domínguez-Álvarez
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (O.C.); (L.M.); (B.D.-Á.); (E.R.)
| | - Estrella Romero
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (O.C.); (L.M.); (B.D.-Á.); (E.R.)
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Disruptive Behavior Disorders and Psychopathic Traits in Adolescents: Empathy-Related Responses to Witnessing Animal Distress. JOURNAL OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY AND BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENT 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10862-021-09891-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
AbstractCruelty to animals is a symptom of conduct disorder and associated with psychopathic traits in childhood. One of the factors thought to contribute to animal cruelty is reduced empathy and concern for the well-being of animals. A first aim of this study was to examine empathy towards animals in distress in male adolescents with disruptive behavior disorders (DBD) and high or low psychopathic traits, and normal controls (NC). Psychopathic traits were assessed by the Antisocial Process Screening Device (APSD). Respondents were exposed to a short film clip depicting a baby bear in distress. Heart rate (HR) responses were monitored during film exposure. Afterwards, respondents were asked to report the emotions they had observed and experienced. Contrary to expectations based on research on human empathy, no group differences were found in empathy-related responses to witnessing animal distress. Both DBD groups and normal controls observed equal levels of distress in the baby bear, experienced as much empathy and sympathy, and showed similar levels of HR reduction during the most dramatic scene. Results suggest that empathy for humans does not generalize to animals, and vice versa. A second aim was to examine the associations between empathy-related responses and the broad concept of psychopathy as well as its dimensions. The relationships were different and for the most part reversed in the NC and DBD groups. Group proved to be an important moderating factor, indicating that results obtained within a sample of healthy adolescents do not generalize to adolescents with DBD, and vice versa.
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Kavish N, Boisvert D, Cooke EM, Lewis RH, Woeckener M, Wells J, Armstrong TA. Further Evaluation of the Associations Between Psychopathic Traits and Symptoms of PTSD and Depression in a Nonclinical Sample. J Pers Disord 2021; 35:469-480. [PMID: 32039651 DOI: 10.1521/pedi_2020_34_467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Examining psychopathic traits at the factor or facet level has revealed that various aspects of psychopathy may be differentially related, even in opposing directions, to important outcomes (e.g., intelligence, emotion regulation). Empirical work on relations between psychopathy and internalizing disorders, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression, has provided evidence for a positive association with antisocial traits. However, findings for the affective domain have been more equivocal. The current study (N = 732) sought to replicate past findings of the positive association of antisocial psychopathic traits with higher levels of PTSD and depressive symptoms, and to further explore associations between affective traits of psychopathy and these disorders using two measures of psychopathy. Results confirmed prior findings of a positive correlation between antisocial features and self-reported PTSD/Depression symptom severity, but they did not provide evidence for any association with affective traits. Future research using longitudinal designs is needed to begin establishing temporal ordering of the psychopathy-internalizing relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Kavish
- Department of Psychology & Philosophy, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas
| | - Danielle Boisvert
- Department of Criminal Justice, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas
| | - Eric M Cooke
- Department of Criminal Justice, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas
| | - Richard H Lewis
- Department of Criminal Justice, University of Arkansas at Little Rock
| | - Matthias Woeckener
- Department of Criminal Justice, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas
| | - Jessica Wells
- Department of Criminal Justice, Boise State University, Boise, Idaho
| | - Todd A Armstrong
- School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Nebraska Omaha
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Fournier LF, McDonald JB, Clayson PE, Verona E. Psychopathic traits, inhibition, and positive and negative emotion: Results from an emotional Go/No-Go task. Psychophysiology 2021; 58:e13815. [PMID: 33768574 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Revised: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Difficulty stopping unwanted or inappropriate actions (i.e., inhibitory control) is implicated in antisocial behaviors, which are common in people high in psychopathic traits. Recent research indicates that, for those with antisocial personality, inhibitory control is impaired under negative emotional contexts; however, it is unclear whether this impairment extends to persons with psychopathic traits and to impairments under positive emotional contexts. Identifying some of these distinctions can point to therapeutics that target negative emotion specifically or emotion dysregulation broadly. We sought to identify unique relationships between distinct facets of psychopathy and inhibitory control in the context of positive, negative, and neutral stimuli. Using a community sample (N = 117), event-related potentials were recorded during an emotional-linguistic Go/No-Go task. Results indicated distinct cognition-emotion relationships for each psychopathy facet. Higher interpersonal facet scores related to reciprocal interference between cognition and emotion. Higher callous affect facet scores related to reduced inhibitory and emotional processing, except when stimuli were most engaging (emotional No-Go trials). Higher erratic lifestyle facet scores related to increased effort required to process both emotion and inhibition cues. Finally, higher antisocial facet scores related to poorer behavioral inhibition overall. This research challenges the theoretical accounts of psychopathy focused on specific deficits in negative emotion, such as fearlessness, while offering some support for theories related to attentional dysfunction. Results also highlight the importance of facet-level theorizing, as results varied by facet. This study may inform efforts to reduce disinhibited behaviors, particularly in emotional contexts, among those high in certain psychopathic traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren F Fournier
- Department of Psychology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Julia B McDonald
- Department of Psychology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Peter E Clayson
- Department of Psychology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Edelyn Verona
- Department of Psychology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
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Baglole JS, Tsang S, Hare RD, Forth AE. Psychopathic Expression From Early to Late Adulthood: An Item Response Theory Analysis of the Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised. Assessment 2020; 29:535-555. [PMID: 33380164 DOI: 10.1177/1073191120980063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Several investigators have assessed the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) for invariance across offender ethnicities and in correctional and forensic-psychiatric contexts. Yet we do not know whether, or to what extent, item properties among male offenders vary throughout adulthood. With a combined sample of PCL-R data on offenders from Canada and the United States (N = 4,820), we measured item properties for offenders in age groups of Early (18-30 years old), Middle (31-49 years old), and Late (50+ years old) adulthood. Nine items showed differential item functioning across age group comparisons. Among the Early group, the PCL-R Interpersonal and Affective traits were most informative for measuring the latent trait of psychopathy. Among the Late group, the PCL-R Lifestyle and Antisocial items were most informative for the latent trait. These differences in item information illustrate how psychopathy manifests in male offenders throughout adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Siny Tsang
- Washington State University, Spokane, WA, USA
| | - Robert D Hare
- University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Darkstone Research Group, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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Leveraging parasympathetic nervous system activity to study risk for psychopathology: The special case of callous-unemotional traits. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 118:175-185. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.07.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Revised: 06/14/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Connections that characterize callousness: Affective features of psychopathy are associated with personalized patterns of resting-state network connectivity. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2020; 28:102402. [PMID: 32891038 PMCID: PMC7479442 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2020.102402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
There was significant heterogeneity in participants’ neural networks. Psychopathy associated with default mode-central executive network connectivity. Associations were specific to affective psychopathic traits.
Background Psychopathic traits are hypothesized to be associated with dysfunction across three resting-state networks: the default mode (DMN), salience (SN), and central executive (CEN). Past work has not considered heterogeneity in the neural networks of individuals who display psychopathic traits, which is likely critical in understanding the etiology of psychopathy and could underlie different symptom presentations. Thus, this study maps person-specific resting state networks and links connectivity patterns to features of psychopathy. Methods We examined resting-state functional connectivity among eight regions of interest in the DMN, SN, and CEN using a person-specific, sparse network mapping approach (Group Iterative Multiple Model Estimation) in a community sample of 22-year-old men from low-income, urban families (N = 123). Associations were examined between a dimensional measure of psychopathic traits and network density (i.e., number of connections within and between networks). Results There was significant heterogeneity in neural networks of participants, which were characterized by person-specific connections and no common connections across the sample. Psychopathic traits, particularly affective traits, were associated with connection density between the DMN and CEN, such that greater density was associated with elevated psychopathic traits. Discussion Findings emphasize that neural networks underlying psychopathy are highly individualized. However, individuals with high levels of psychopathic traits had increased density in connections between the DMN and CEN, networks that have been linked with self-referential thinking and executive functioning. Taken together, the results highlight the utility of person-specific approaches in modeling neural networks underlying psychopathic traits, which could ultimately inform personalized prevention and intervention strategies.
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Ruchensky JR, Edens JF, Donnellan MB, Hawes SW, Mulvey EP. A Comparison of the Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory (YPI)-Triarchic Scales and the YPI in a Sample of Justice-Involved Youth. J Pers Disord 2020; 34:308-323. [PMID: 30307829 DOI: 10.1521/pedi_2018_32_399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The Triarchic model (Patrick, Fowles, & Krueger, 2009) posits that psychopathy consists of three elements: Boldness, Meanness, and Disinhibition. Drislane et al. (2015) recently derived scales from the Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory (YPI; Andershed, Kerr, Stattin, & Levander, 2002) to assess these traits. The initial validation efforts appeared promising, but researchers have yet to evaluate these scales among justice-involved youth. The current study examines the validity of the YPI-Triarchic scales in an archival sample of 928 male adolescent offenders and tests whether the new scales provide information incremental to the original YPI. The YPI-Triarchic scales were strongly correlated with original YPI scales (rs = .56-.96), and some associations were contrary to predictions and previous findings about the Triarchic model (e.g., YPI-Boldness was not inversely related to symptomatology). Thus, caution is warranted when attempting to study the Triarchic model with the YPI-Triarchic scales.
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Ribes‐Guardiola P, Poy R, Patrick CJ, Moltó J. Electrocortical measures of performance monitoring from go/no‐go and flanker tasks: Differential relations with trait dimensions of the triarchic model of psychopathy. Psychophysiology 2020; 57:e13573. [DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Revised: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Ribes‐Guardiola
- Affective Neuroscience Lab Department of Basic and Clinical Psychology, and Psychobiology Universitat Jaume I Castelló Spain
| | - Rosario Poy
- Affective Neuroscience Lab Department of Basic and Clinical Psychology, and Psychobiology Universitat Jaume I Castelló Spain
| | | | - Javier Moltó
- Affective Neuroscience Lab Department of Basic and Clinical Psychology, and Psychobiology Universitat Jaume I Castelló Spain
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34
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Hart W, Tortoriello GK, Richardson K. Profiling personality-disorder traits on self-presentation tactic use. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2019.109793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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35
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Sanecka E. Psychopathy and procrastination: Triarchic conceptualization of psychopathy and its relations to active and passive procrastination. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-020-00604-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
AbstractThe present study examined the relationships between potentially adaptive and maladaptive aspects of psychopathy distinguished within the triarchic model (i.e., boldness, meanness and disinhibition) and two types of procrastination, reflecting its functional and dysfunctional aspects (i.e., active procrastination and passive procrastination). Additionally, the potential mediating mechanisms underlying these associations were investigated. The results revealed that the three components of the triarchic model of psychopathy were related to different forms of procrastination in distinct ways. In particular, active procrastination displayed a positive link to boldness and meanness, whereas passive procrastination was found to be positively related to disinhibition and negatively to boldness. Furthermore, two parallel multiple mediation analyses demonstrated the mediating effects of individual difference variables (i.e., impulsiveness, negative affectivity, general self-efficacy) on these relationships. As hypothesized, impulsiveness and negative affectivity partially mediated the association between disinhibition and passive procrastination, while self-efficacy partially mediated the relationship between boldness and active procrastination. The paper concentrated on the theoretical implications of these findings for understanding how different psychopathy-related traits are related to different aspects of procrastination.
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Potik D, Abramsohn Y, Schreiber S, Adelson M, Peles E. Drug Abuse and Behavioral Transgressions during Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MMT) are Related to High Psychopathy Levels. Subst Use Misuse 2020; 55:460-468. [PMID: 31703535 DOI: 10.1080/10826084.2019.1685546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: Studies which used the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) among methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) patients focused mostly on methodological issues, without addressing its relationship to patients' misconduct during treatment. This paper tests the hypothesis that high PCL-R scores are related to high rates of drug abuse, and high numbers of behavioral transgressions in MMT during a 7-year period. Material and Methods: 107 MMT patients were recruited from a MMT clinic in Israel, and were administered the PCL-R. The questionnaires results as well as routine drug test findings were recorded between 7/2007 and 11/2007. Seven years later (7/2014), repeated drug test results were analyzed, and the number of behavioral transgressions during the entire period was computed. Results: High levels of psychopathy were related to drug test results indicating any illicit drug use, cocaine use and benzodiazepines misuse at the beginning of study, and limited to benzodiazepines misuse among patients who stayed in treatment at the 7-year follow-up. However, higher scores on different PCL-R facets were significantly associated with different types of drugs. The PCL-R's total score and all but the antisociality facet were positively correlated with a higher number of behavioral transgressions (such as, threats and/or verbal and physical aggression). Conclusions: Administration of the PCL-R during MMT may help identify patients with high illicit drug use levels and a higher chance of committing behavioral transgressions during treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Potik
- Dr. Miriam & Sheldon G. Adelson Clinic for Drug Abuse, Treatment & Research, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel.,Department of Psychiatry, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Yali Abramsohn
- Dr. Miriam & Sheldon G. Adelson Clinic for Drug Abuse, Treatment & Research, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Shaul Schreiber
- Dr. Miriam & Sheldon G. Adelson Clinic for Drug Abuse, Treatment & Research, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel.,Department of Psychiatry, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel.,Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.,Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Miriam Adelson
- Dr. Miriam & Sheldon G. Adelson Clinic for Drug Abuse, Treatment & Research, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Einat Peles
- Dr. Miriam & Sheldon G. Adelson Clinic for Drug Abuse, Treatment & Research, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel.,Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.,Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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Clark AP, Bontemps AP, Batky BD, Watts EK, Salekin RT. Psychopathy and neurodynamic brain functioning: A review of EEG research. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 103:352-373. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.05.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2019] [Revised: 05/28/2019] [Accepted: 05/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
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Overgaauw S, Jansen M, Korbee NJ, de Bruijn ERA. Neural Mechanisms Involved in Social Conformity and Psychopathic Traits: Prediction Errors, Reward Processing and Saliency. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:160. [PMID: 31379532 PMCID: PMC6646416 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2018] [Accepted: 07/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Aligning behavior in favor of group norms, i.e., social conformity, can help to successfully adapt to uncertain environments and may result in social approval. This may lead to enhanced feelings of belongingness and is found to be associated with reward-related activations in the brain. Individuals high on psychopathic traits violate group norms regularly. Yet, it is unclear how psychopathic traits are related to neural mechanisms involved in social conformity. This functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study includes 42 healthy females scoring low or high on the Psychopathic Personality Inventory questionnaire (PPI). Participants were asked to rate the trustworthiness of 120 faces while lying in the scanner. After rating each face, participants were presented with the group rating of European students. In an unanticipated second part participants rated all faces again, allowing us to focus on two main contrasts: (1) “Social conflict”: group opinion in conflict with the participant’s rating vs. group opinion aligned with participant rating; and (2) “Conformity”: conflict trials followed by conformity vs. conflict trials followed by non-conformity. Behaviorally, the two groups showed similar conformity behavior. fMRI results showed that both groups activated the nucleus accumbens (NAc) following alignment, suggesting the central role of prediction errors and reward. The data also showed a significant interaction between group and conformity in the amygdala. Following conflicts, females scoring low on psychopathic traits showed a trend in enhanced amygdala activation for conformity relative to non-conformity. Additionally, results showed a trend significant group effect for non-conformity. Females scoring high on psychopathic traits showed more activation for non-conformity compared to females scoring low on psychopathic traits, suggesting altered emotional salience of experiencing conflict depending on psychopathic traits. Taken together, these results support the importance of investigating the role of relevant traits in adaptive behavior when facing uncertain social situations and the neural mechanisms involved in this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandy Overgaauw
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
- *Correspondence: Sandy Overgaauw
| | - Myrthe Jansen
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Naomi J. Korbee
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Ellen R. A. de Bruijn
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
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Persson BN, Lilienfeld SO. Social status as one key indicator of successful psychopathy: An initial empirical investigation. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2019.01.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Kavish N, Boisvert D, Wells J, Lewis R, Cooke E, Woeckener M, Armstrong T. On the associations between indicators of resting arousal levels, physiological reactivity, sensation seeking, and psychopathic traits. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2019.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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A Network Approach to Understanding the Structure of Core Symptoms of Psychopathic Personality Disturbance in Adolescent Offenders. JOURNAL OF ABNORMAL CHILD PSYCHOLOGY 2019; 47:1467-1482. [DOI: 10.1007/s10802-019-00530-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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MacDougall EAM, Salekin RT, Gillen CTA. Adolescent psychopathy, heart rate, and skin conductance. Psychophysiology 2019; 56:e13344. [PMID: 30776096 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2018] [Revised: 12/12/2018] [Accepted: 01/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Researchers have advocated for a greater focus on measuring neurobiological underpinnings of serious psychological conditions such as psychopathy. This has become particularly important to investigate early in the life span, when intervention efforts for psychopathy-related behavior like conduct disorder (CD) are more successful. Given that psychopathy is a complex syndrome, it is also important to investigate physiological processes at a dimensional level. Using a sample of 56 adolescent male offenders (Mage = 15.92; SD = 1.31), this study explored the relationship between the Psychopathy Checklist-Youth Version (Forth, Kosson, & Hare, 2003), heart rate (HR), and skin conductance (SC). A white noise countdown task was used to measure autonomic activity across a baseline, anticipatory (prenoise), and reactivity (postnoise) period. Findings revealed no significant associations between psychopathy and HR activity across the time intervals. However, results revealed a positive association between grandiose-manipulative traits and SC activity and a negative association between callous-unemotional traits and SC activity. The results indicate that autonomic processes may contribute to distinct psychopathic traits in different ways, implicating slightly differential brain functioning. The findings suggest that, in order to better understand and treat youth with CD, future research should continue to examine the biological correlates of psychopathy at the broader construct level but perhaps especially at the component level.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Randall T Salekin
- Department of Psychology, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
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