Continuity and change in psychopathic traits as measured via normal-range personality: a longitudinal-biometric study

Mediators of the Link Between Psychopathy and Sexual Coercion: The Role of Rape Myth Acceptance, Arousal, and Misperception of Sexual Interest

The current study explores the relationship between psychopathy, cognitive distortions that could promote sexual coercion, i.e., rape myth acceptance (RMA) and misperception of sexual intent (MPSI), and one's level of sexual arousal on the intentions to use sexual coercion. Using a sample of 218 college men (aged 18-69) and a hypothetical vignette design, we examine potential direct and indirect effects of psychopathy on coercion intentions. Psychopathy directly related to coercion intentions and also operated indirectly through RMA. Furthermore, RMA was related to coercion intentions through MPSI. Implications for understanding sexual coercion pathways and prevention efforts are discussed.

Disentangling the relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder, criminogenic risk, and criminal history among veterans

OBJECTIVE

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is positively associated with involvement in the criminal justice system among veterans. Research that examines whether this association is confounded by risk factors ("criminogenic needs") from the risk-need-responsivity model of correctional rehabilitation can inform risk management with this population.

HYPOTHESES

We hypothesized that (a) veterans with probable PTSD would score higher on all criminogenic needs than veterans without PTSD and (b) probable PTSD would be associated with criminal history but not after accounting for criminogenic needs.

METHOD

We conducted secondary analyses of data from 341 veterans (95.3% male; 57.8% White/non-Hispanic/Latinx; Mage = 46.2 years) with a history of criminal justice system involvement who were admitted to mental health residential treatment. At treatment entry, participants completed interviews to assess criminal history, risk-need-responsivity-based criminogenic needs, and PTSD symptom severity. Cross-sectional analyses tested for differences between participants with and without probable PTSD on criminogenic needs and criminal history, and a multiple regression model examined the unique contributions of probable PTSD and criminogenic needs on criminal history.

RESULTS

The majority of the sample (74%, n = 251) met probable criteria for PTSD. Compared with veterans without PTSD, those with probable PTSD scored significantly higher on criminogenic needs of antisocial personality patterns, antisocial cognitions, antisocial associates, substance use, and family/marital dysfunction but did not differ on multiple indices of criminal history (Cohen's ds = 0.60-0.86). In the regression model, higher age (β = 0.52, p < .001) and higher scores on measures of antisocial personality patterns (β = 0.19, p = .04) and antisocial cognitions (β = 0.22, p = .02) were significantly associated with higher scores on a criminal history index.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggest that veterans with probable PTSD may score higher on a number of criminogenic needs that are known to be drivers of recidivism. An approach that integrates trauma-informed and risk-need-responsivity principles to address veterans' dynamic criminogenic and clinical needs may be critical to risk management in this population. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Elucidating the role of negative parenting in the genetic v. environmental influences on adult psychopathic traits

BACKGROUND

Psychopathic traits involve interpersonal manipulation, callous affect, erratic lifestyle, and antisocial behavior. Though adult psychopathic traits emerge from both genetic and environmental risk, no studies have examined etiologic associations between adult psychopathic traits and experiences of parenting in childhood, or the extent to which parenting practices may impact the heritability of adult psychopathic traits using a genetically-informed design.

METHODS

In total, 1842 adult twins from the community reported their current psychopathic traits and experiences of negative parenting during childhood. We fit bivariate genetic models to the data, decomposing the variance within, and the covariance between, psychopathic traits and perceived negative parenting into their genetic and environmental components. We then fit a genotype × environment interaction model to evaluate whether negative parenting moderated the etiology of psychopathic traits.

RESULTS

Psychopathic traits were moderately heritable with substantial non-shared environmental influences. There were significant associations between perceived negative parenting and three of four psychopathy facets (interpersonal manipulation, erratic lifestyle, antisocial tendencies, but not callous affect). These associations were attributable to a common non-shared environmental pathway and not to overlapping genetic effects. Additionally, we found that primarily shared environmental influences were stronger on psychopathic traits for individuals with a history of greater negative parenting.

CONCLUSIONS

Utilizing a genetically-informed design, we found that both genetic and non-shared environmental factors contribute to the emergence of psychopathic traits. Moreover, perceptions of negative parenting emerged as a clear environmental influence on the development of interpersonal, lifestyle, and antisocial features of psychopathy.

Association of the MAOA-uVNTR polymorphism with psychopathic traits may change from childhood to adolescence

Psychopathic traits can lead to violence, making it a serious public health concern. Genetic factors contribute to the aetiology of psychopathy. We examined whether monoamine oxidase A (MAOA-uVNTR) was associated with psychopathic traits measured quantitatively from controls through clinically aggressive youth (n = 336). Subjects were sub-categorized into at or above, and below age 13 years. Results reveal that males below age 13 were more likely to display psychopathic traits with the MAOA long variant, whereas males above age 13 years were more likely to display with the short variant. This suggests that developmental factors may be crucial for understanding the role of the MAOA polymorphism in psychopathic traits in males.

Is it good to be bad? An evolutionary analysis of the adaptive potential of psychopathic traits

Although psychopathy is widely conceptualised as a mental disorder, some researchers question the maladaptive nature of psychopathy, and argue that it might be advantageous from an evolutionary point of view. According to this view, psychopathy can be seen as an evolutionary adaptative strategy that relies on deception and manipulation to gain short-term reproductive benefits. Psychopathy is also identified as a fast life strategy in response to early life stress and an adaptation to harsh environments. This paper investigates the evidence that psychopathic traits are adaptive, while also addressing the limitations of current evolutionary models of psychopathy based on frequency-dependent selection and life history theory. We review recent studies on the fitness correlates of psychopathy and find that psychopathic traits present potential adaptive trade-offs between fertility and mortality, and offspring quantity and quality. On a proximate level, individual differences in stress reactivity and environmental risk factors in early development predispose to psychopathy through gene-environment interactions. We propose that environmental, developmental, social and cultural factors can mediate the relationship between psychopathic traits and fitness and therefore should be considered to make accurate predictions on the adaptive potential of psychopathy. We end by outlining gaps in the literature and making recommendations for future evolutionary research on psychopathy.

The clinical course of antisocial behaviors in men and women of three racial groups

AIMS

To describe the clinical course and symptom profile of DSM-IV Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD) and the syndrome of Adult Antisocial Behavior Syndrome (AABS) and determine if they differ based on sex and race.

METHODS

Using questions from a validated semi-structured interview, data were gathered from 2 independent family studies in: 1) American Indians (AI), and 2) European Americans (EA), African Americans (AA) (total n = 7171) who reported antisocial symptoms.

RESULTS

Within these two samples 1148 (16%) individuals met ASPD criteria, 1932 (27%) met adult ASPD but not childhood conduct disorder (CD) (i.e., AABS). The clinical course of the antisocial behaviors studied did not differ based on race or sex; however, individual symptom counts, and age of onsets of those symptoms, were significantly different across the groups. Women reported fewer symptoms and at an older age (less fights, school suspensions/expulsions, arrests or jail time), than men but were more likely to run away from home. Those with ASPD vs. AABS had more symptoms overall including not experiencing remorse. AA and AI participants and those with ASPD, had more symptoms, and were more likely to be suspended/expelled from school and arrested at a younger age than EA.

CONCLUSION

In these select samples, the order and sequence of antisocial behaviors did not differ by race, AASB vs. ASPD, or sex; however individual symptom endorsement did, with men (vs. women), those with ASPD (vs. AABS), AI and AA (vs. EA) reporting more suspensions/expulsions from school and arrests. This suggests further study of the possible role of race and sex in the consequences associated with antisocial syndromes is warranted.

Stability of self-reported psychopathic traits in at-risk adolescents in youth welfare and juvenile justice institutions

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the self-reported stability of psychopathic traits in adolescents in residential care (both child welfare and juvenile justice placed juveniles) and potential influencing factors.

METHODS

We applied the Youth Psychopathic traits Inventory (YPI) in a sample of 162 adolescents (M = 15.0 years, SD = 1.3) over a mean time interval of 11 months (min. 6, max. 21 months, SD = 3.14).

RESULTS

There was no significant difference in YPI total score nor in the three underlying dimensions Grandiose-Manipulative (GM), Callous-Unemotional (CU), and Impulsive-Irresponsible (II) between t1 and t2. Furthermore, approximately 70% of the adolescents showed no clinically significant reliable change on the YPI total score (as measured with the reliable change index), 15% improved, 15% deteriorated. The strongest predictor for psychopathic traits at t2 were psychopathic traits at t1. Additional predictors for higher levels of general psychopathic traits was male sex, for CU-traits male sex and lower levels of internalizing mental health problems, and for II-traits higher levels of externalizing mental health problems. Generally, the three reliable change groups (increase, no change, decrease) did not seemed to differ on relevant factors.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results add to the findings that psychopathic traits are relatively stable in this at-risk group over approximately a 1-year time interval. Research with a longer follow-up time and more time points is warranted to better interpret these results.

Behavioral inhibition as an early life predictor of callous-unemotional traits

Callous-unemotional (CU) traits predict behavioral problems in adolescence. But little is known about early modulatory factors. Behavioral Inhibition (BI) in particular has been suggested to protect against the development of CU-traits. This temperamental predisposition is characterized by heightened environmental sensitivity. The current prospective longitudinal study examined whether BI at 15 months of age predicted lower CU-traits across development to age 21. A longitudinal sample of normatively developing children ( n = 125) was used. BI was assessed at 15 months using a standard stranger/robot paradigm. CU-traits were assessed at 2, 5, 9, 12, 14, 17, and 21 years with parent, teacher, and self-reports. Developmental pathways across all available data points were examined using Bayesian mixed models and k-means cluster analysis. Infant BI predicted lower CU-traits across development for girls, suggesting that BI buffers the long-term development of CU-traits for girls. CU-traits peaked in early adulthood. Boys scored higher and showed higher increases in CU-traits than girls from childhood onward. There was no gender difference regarding infant BI. Together, the findings demonstrated gender differences in the development of CU-traits, with a protective role of BI for girls. These results shed new light on the developmental trajectories and protective factors of CU-traits and provide starting points for interventions aiming at increasing children’s responsiveness to external cues to prevent antisocial traits and conduct problems.

Do psychopathic traits vary with age among women? A cross-sectional investigation

Previous studies with men suggest that certain psychopathic traits vary with age. Specifically, younger men score higher on psychopathic traits measuring impulsive-antisocial behavior, including impulsivity, irresponsibility, and criminal versatility, compared to older men. On the other hand, younger and older men score comparably on psychopathic traits reflecting core personality traits of interpersonal and affective dysfunction, including conning and manipulative behavior and a lack of empathy, guilt, and remorse. However, it is currently not known whether psychopathic traits similarly vary with age among women. This study examined whether psychopathy scores (assessed via the Hare Psychopathy Checklist - Revised [PCL-R]) varied with age among a sample of 501 incarcerated women ranging from 19 to 57 years of age. Consistent with previous studies performed with men, younger women scored higher on psychopathic traits measuring impulsive-antisocial behavior (i.e., PCL-R Factor 2, Facet 3, and Facet 4 scores) compared to older women. However, scores on PCL-R Factor 1, Facet 1, and Facet 2, assessing core personality traits, including interpersonal and affective dysfunction, were comparable across women in different age categories investigated. Results obtained in this preliminary study suggest the variation of PCL-R Factor 2 traits and the stability of PCL-R Factor 1 traits across the lifespan is invariant across gender.

COMT Val/Met and Psychopathic Traits in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and New Evidence of a Developmental Trajectory toward Psychopathy

Psychopathic traits in youth may lead to adult criminal behaviors/psychopathy. The Val158Met polymorphism of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) may influence the risk for psychopathy-related behaviors, while acting as a biomarker for predicting treatment response to dopaminergic medications. The literature shows inconsistent findings, making the interpretation of COMT's role difficult. The aims of this article are (i) to conduct a systematic review to analyze the effects of COMT Val158Met on psychopathic traits in children and adolescents, and (ii) to present new evidence on the developmental trajectory of the association of Val158Met and youth psychopathic traits. For the systematic review, a literature search was conducted using PubMed, EMBASE, OVID Medline and PsychINFO with the search terms for psychopathic traits, Val158Met and age of interest. In our genotype study, the COMT Val158Met genotype of 293 youth with European ancestry was analyzed in association with the psychopathy-related behavior scores from the Child Behavior Checklist and the Psychopathy Screening Device. To examine the potential influence of developmental changes, the sample was split into at or above and below age 13, and analyses were performed in males and females separately. The literature search yielded twenty-eight articles to be included in the systematic review, which demonstrated mixed results on the association depending on environmental factors, sex ratios, age groups and behavioral disorder diagnoses. The results from our genotype study revealed that Met homozygous youth in the below age 13 group and conversely Val carrier youth in the above age 13 group were more likely to display psychopathic traits. To our knowledge, this is the first study to systematically review the effects of COMT Val158Met on psychopathic traits in childhood and adolescence, and to provide new evidence on the changing effects of Val158Met on psychopathy-related behaviors with development. Elucidating the role of the COMT genotype in conjunction with the child versus adolescent stage of development for psychopathic traits may help predict treatment response, and may lead to early intervention and prevention strategies.

Psychopathy in women: insights from neuroscience and ways forward for research

Psychopathy is a severe form of personality disturbance, resulting in a detrimental impact on individuals, healthcare systems, and society as a whole. Until relatively recently, most research in psychopathy has focused on male samples, not least because of its link with criminal behavior and the large proportion of violent crime committed by men. However, psychopathy in women also leads to considerable problems at an individual and societal level, including substance misuse, poor treatment outcomes, and contribution to ever-increasing numbers of female prisoners. Despite this, due to relative neglect, most research into adult female psychopathy is underpowered and outdated. We argue that the field needs revitalizing, with a focus on the developmental nature of the condition and neurocognitive research. Recent work international consortia into conduct disorder in female youth-a precursor of psychopathy in female adults-gives cause for optimism. Here, we outline key strategies for enriching research in this important field with contemporary approaches to other psychiatric conditions.

Neurocognitive abilities associated with antisocial behavior with and without callous-unemotional traits in a community sample

OBJECTIVE

Antisocial behavior (aggression, rule breaking) is associated with lower intelligence and executive function deficits. Research has not clarified whether these associations differ with the presence of callous-unemotional (CU) traits, particularly within levels of antisocial behavior observed in the community.

METHOD

We examined whether antisocial behavior and CU traits were differentially associated with intelligence and executive function metrics in 474 adolescent twins (Mean age = 14.18; SD = 2.20) sampled from birth records to represent youth in the community living in neighborhoods with above average levels of poverty. Intelligence was assessed using standardized scores from the Shipley-2. Executive function was assessed using Go/No-Go and Stop Signal tasks.

RESULTS

Neither antisocial behavior, nor CU traits alone, were associated with cognitive functioning when accounting for demographic factors. However, antisocial behavior and CU traits interacted to predict reaction time variability. At low levels of CU traits, antisocial behavior was associated with higher reaction time variability (traditionally thought to reflect worse sustained attention). At high levels of CU traits, antisocial behavior was associated with lower reaction time variability (thought to reflect better sustained attention).

CONCLUSION

Elevated antisocial behavior and CU traits may be characterized by a distinct neurocognitive profile compared to elevated antisocial behavior in isolation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Genetic and environmental influences on the developmental trajectory of callous-unemotional traits from childhood to adolescence

BACKGROUND

This study examined the genetic and environmental influences underlying baseline level and developmental course of callous-unemotional (CU) traits across childhood and adolescence.

METHODS

The data on 8,958 twin pairs (3,108 MZ twin pairs and 5,850 DZ twin pairs) from the Twins Early Development Study were analysed. CU traits were assessed at ages 7, 9, 12 and 16 by mothers and analysed using a biometric latent growth model.

RESULTS

Individual differences in the baseline level of CU traits were highly heritable (76.5%), while the heritability of the developmental course of CU traits was moderate (43.6%). The genetic influences on baseline level and developmental course of CU traits were mostly nonoverlapping. Nonshared environment made a modest contribution to the baseline level of CU traits (21.7%). Nonshared environmental influences on the developmental course of CU traits were moderate (43.2%), with nearly half of them being the same as those influencing the baseline level and just over half being specific. Shared environmental effects did not contribute to systematic change across childhood and adolescence but were rather age-specific.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings demonstrate that rather than only being conceptualized as factors of stability, genes also play a dynamic role in explaining systematic change in CU traits. Genetic effects for the initial risk and subsequent development of CU traits are not the same. In addition to genetic factors, nonshared environmental influences play an important role in explaining why some children will increase or maintain their CU traits over time, whereas other will desist. New genetic and environmental influences with age suggest that repeated, age-tailored interventions may be required throughout development to make a lasting difference in the presentation of CU traits and associated outcomes.

Pursuing the developmental aims of the triarchic model of psychopathy: Creation and validation of triarchic scales for use in the USC: RFAB longitudinal twin project

The triarchic model was advanced as an integrative, trait-based framework for investigating psychopathy using different assessment methods and across developmental periods. Recent research has shown that the triarchic traits of boldness, meanness, and disinhibition can be operationalized effectively in youth, but longitudinal research is needed to realize the model's potential to advance developmental understanding of psychopathy. We report on the creation and validation of scale measures of the triarchic traits using questionnaire items available in the University of Southern California Risk Factors for Antisocial Behavior (RFAB) project, a large-scale longitudinal study of the development of antisocial behavior that includes measures from multiple modalities (self-report, informant rating, clinical-diagnostic, task-behavioral, physiological). Using a construct-rating and psychometric refinement approach, we developed triarchic scales that showed acceptable reliability, expected intercorrelations, and good temporal stability. The scales showed theory-consistent relations with external criteria including measures of psychopathy, internalizing/externalizing psychopathology, antisocial behavior, and substance use. Findings demonstrate the viability of measuring triarchic traits in the RFAB sample, extend the known nomological network of these traits into the developmental realm, and provide a foundation for follow-up studies examining the etiology of psychopathic traits and their relations with multimodal measures of cognitive-affective function and proneness to clinical problems.

Age and gender differences in socially aversive (“dark”) personality traits

The strong overlap of personality traits discussed under the label of “dark personality” (e.g., psychopathy, spitefulness, moral disengagement) endorses a common framework for socially aversive traits over and beyond the dark triad. Despite the rapidly growing research on socially aversive traits, there is a lack of studies addressing age-associated differences in these traits. In the present study ( N = 12,501), we investigated the structure of the D Factor of Personality across age and gender using local structural equation modeling, thereby expressing the model parameters as a quasi-continuous, nonparametric function of age. Specifically, we evaluated loadings, reliabilities, factor (co-)variances, and means across 35 locally weighted age groups (from 20 to 54 years), separately for females and males. Results indicated that measurement models were highly stable, thereby supporting the conceptualization of the D factor independent of age and gender. Men exhibited uniformly higher latent means than females and all latent means decreased with increasing age. Overall, D and its themes were invariant across age and gender. Therefore, future studies can meaningfully pursue causes of mean differences across age and between genders.

Making and maintaining relationships through the prism of the dark triad traits: A longitudinal social network study

OBJECTIVE

We investigated how Dark Triad traits influence the development and maintenance of social relations.

METHOD

Participants completed the Short Dark Triad questionnaire and a measure of social relations at three time points: at the beginning of their first year in high school, 3 months later, and at the end of their first year. We investigated whether the Dark Triad traits are stable over time using Multilevel Modeling (N = 265; 59.6% girls), and how Dark Triad traits predict incoming and outgoing agentic and communal relations using Temporal Exponential Random Graph Models (N = 192; 60.4% girls).

RESULTS

Overall, the Dark Triad traits were stable over a one-year period. Narcissism did not predict an increase in communal and agentic relations in the short-term, but predicted slightly less incoming communal and more agentic relations in the long-term. In the short-term, Machiavellianism predicted a small increase while psychopathy predicted a small decrease in the incoming agentic and communal relations. In the long-term, however, neither Machiavellianism nor psychopathy was a significant predictor of any incoming relations.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results shed new light on the dynamics of making and maintaining social relations through the prism of the Dark Triad traits.

Psychopathic Expression From Early to Late Adulthood: An Item Response Theory Analysis of the Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised

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.

Longitudinal Validation of the Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy (LSRP) Scale in a High-Risk Dutch Community Sample

The Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy (LSRP) scale is a self-report measure that can be used to assess psychopathic traits in community samples, and recent research suggested that its three-factor model (Egocentricity, Callousness, and Antisocial) has promising psychometric properties. However, no study to date has validated the LSRP in a longitudinal framework. The present study sought to validate the LSRP scale in a longitudinal design using a sample of Dutch emerging adults (ns = 970 and 693 at time points 1 and 2, respectively). We assessed longitudinal measurement invariance and the stability of psychopathic traits over an 18-month time period, from age 20 to age 21.6. Furthermore, we replicated and extended findings on the factor structure, reliability, and construct validity of the Dutch LSRP scale. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the three-factor model fit the data well. Evidence of partial longitudinal measurement invariance was observed, which means that the Dutch translation of the LSRP scale is measuring an equivalent construct (and overall latent factor structure) over time. Psychopathic traits were relatively stable over time. The three LSRP subscales showed largely acceptable levels of internal consistency at both time points and showed conceptually expected patterns of construct validity and predictive validity, with a few notable exceptions.

Is Callous Always Cold? A Critical Review of the Literature on Emotion and the Development of Callous-Unemotional Traits in Children

Low emotional responsiveness is considered a core feature of callous-unemotional (CU) traits in childhood and, in the context of antisocial behavior, a precursor of psychopathic traits in adulthood. However, recent findings suggest that CU traits are not always characterized by low emotional responsiveness and the evidence base requires review. This review asks a fundamental question- 'Is callous always cold?'-with a specific focus on emotional responsiveness and CU traits in children with conduct problems (CPs). PRISMA review protocols were followed to identify literature reporting on emotional responsiveness for children 3-18 years with CPs and varying (high and low) CU traits. Results from eligible studies were contrasted by age (children 3-11 years, adolescents 12-18 years), emotional responsive measurement type (physiological, behavioral, self-report), emotion-eliciting stimuli type (interactive activities, static imagery, film) and socio-emotional context of the stimuli (other-orientated, self-orientated, neutral). This review highlights considerable variation in results across studies: reduced emotional responsiveness was not synonymous with participants demonstrating high CU traits. A more consistent picture of reduced emotional responsiveness in participants with high CU traits was found when studies used physiological measures, when stimuli were other-orientated in socio-emotional context, and in older, adolescent samples. In conclusion, this paper advocates for a more nuanced understanding of the relationship between high CU traits and the specific factors involved in emotional responsiveness, ultimately suggesting that callous is not always cold. Given that emotional responsiveness is central to theories of moral development, these findings may suggest innovative approaches to early intervention.

Genetic and environmental influences on disinhibition, boldness, and meanness as assessed by the triarchic psychopathy measure in 19-20-year-old twins

BACKGROUND

The Triarchic Psychopathy Measure (TriPM) provides Disinhibition, Boldness, and Meanness scales for assessing the three trait domains of the triarchic model. Here we examined the genetic and environmental etiology of these three domains, including evaluation of potential sex differences.

METHODS

A total of 1016 men and women ages 19-20 years were drawn from the University of Southern California Risk Factors for Antisocial Behavior twin study.

RESULTS

Scores for the three TriPM scales were correlated to differing degrees, with the strongest phenotypic correlation between Disinhibition and Meanness. No sex differences were found in the genetic and environmental influences underlying these three domains, suggesting that the same genes and life experiences contribute to these traits in young men and women. For TriPM Disinhibition and Boldness, genetic factors explained about half or less of the variance, with the rest of the variance being explained by non-shared environmental factors. For TriPM Meanness, on the other hand, genetic, shared environmental, and non-shared environmental factors accounted for the variance. The phenotypic correlation between Disinhibition and Meanness was explained in part by common genes (26%), with the remainder attributable about equally to common shared (39%), and non-shared environmental influences (35%).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings contribute to our understanding of psychopathic personality traits by demonstrating the importance of heritable factors for disinhibition and boldness facets of psychopathy, and the importance of shared environmental influences for the meanness facet.

The genetic underpinnings of callous-unemotional traits: A systematic research review

BACKGROUND

Callous-unemotional (CU) traits represent the affective features of psychopathy used to delineate youth at high risk for externalizing pathology. The genetic etiology CU traits is not currently well-understood.

METHODS

The current review surveyed the literature for studies on the genetic underpinnings of CU traits and integrated information from 39 genetic studies.

RESULTS

The results from 24 studies with quantitative data suggest that the heritability for CU traits is likely between 36-67%. A majority of the 16 molecular genetic studies focused on candidate genes in the serotonin and oxytocin systems with results that have not been well replicated. Although two genome-wide association studies have been conducted, no genome-wide significant loci have been discovered.

DISCUSSION

There is some evidence to suggest that the serotonin and oxytocin systems may play a role in CU traits; however, there is currently not enough evidence to implicate specific genetic mechanisms. The authors encourage researchers to continue to apply the most up-to-date and relevant methodology, specifically collaborations and consortiums using genome-wide and polygenic methods.

A Systematic Literature Review of Neuroimaging of Psychopathic Traits

INTRODUCTION

Core psychopathy is characterized by grandiosity, callousness, manipulativeness, and lack of remorse, empathy, and guilt. It is often comorbid with conduct disorder and antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). Psychopathy is present in forensic as well as prison and general populations. In recent years, an increasing amount of neuroimaging studies has been conducted in order to elucidate the obscure neurobiological etiology of psychopathy. The studies have yielded heterogenous results, and no consensus has been reached.

AIMS

This study systematically reviewed and qualitatively summarized functional and structural neuroimaging studies conducted on individuals with psychopathic traits. Furthermore, this study aimed to evaluate whether the findings from different MRI modalities could be reconciled from a neuroanatomical perspective.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

After the search and auditing processes, 118 neuroimaging studies were included in this systematic literature review. The studies consisted of structural, functional, and diffusion tensor MRI studies.

RESULTS

Psychopathy was associated with numerous neuroanatomical abnormalities. Structurally, gray matter anomalies were seen in frontotemporal, cerebellar, limbic, and paralimbic regions. Associated gray matter volume (GMV) reductions were most pronounced particularly in most of the prefrontal cortex, and temporal gyri including the fusiform gyrus. Also decreased GMV of the amygdalae and hippocampi as well the cingulate and insular cortices were associated with psychopathy, as well as abnormal morphology of the hippocampi, amygdala, and nucleus accumbens. Functionally, psychopathy was associated with dysfunction of the default mode network, which was also linked to poor moral judgment as well as deficient metacognitive and introspective abilities. Second, reduced white matter integrity in the uncinate fasciculus and dorsal cingulum were associated with core psychopathy. Third, emotional detachment was associated with dysfunction of the posterior cerebellum, the human mirror neuron system and the Theory of Mind denoting lack of empathy and persistent failure in integrating affective information into cognition.

CONCLUSIONS

Structural and functional aberrancies involving the limbic and paralimbic systems including reduced integrity of the uncinate fasciculus appear to be associated with core psychopathic features. Furthermore, this review points towards the idea that ASPD and psychopathy might stem from divergent biological processes.

Psychopathic personality factor "Fearless dominance" is related to low self-reported stress-levels, fewer psychiatric symptoms, and more adaptive stress coping in psychiatric disorders

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to test the idea that the psychopathic trait "Fearless dominance" (FD) may be associated with reduced psychological stress symptoms and better stress coping strategies in psychiatric patients, whereas the factor "Self-centered impulsivity" (SCI) may be associated with more stress and maladaptive stress coping. The investigation included 626 individuals with psychiatric disorders treated in a psychiatric rehabilitation program. The participants were tested with the Psychopathic Personality Inventory Revised (PPI-R) and completed several clinical scales measuring stress experience and stress coping (Symptom-Checklist Revised, Trier Inventory for Chronic Stress, The Stress Coping Style Questionnaire 78). Consistent with the hypothesis, structural equation modeling results showed that self-reported stress levels and adaptive stress coping strategies might be explained by psychopathic FD traits in the psychiatric sample. Supplemental subscale analyses showed that especially the PPI-R scales Stress Immunity and Social Influence were positively related to adaptive stress coping. The second model of SCI did not fit our data well. In conclusion, individuals with psychopathic FD traits may experience less stress symptoms during residential care. Well-designed prospective trials may ultimately answer the question whether psychopathic traits could be viewed as serving a buffer function in the development of depression.

Concurrent and developmental correlates of psychopathic traits using a triarchic psychopathy model approach

Psychopathy refers to a heterogeneous set of harmful dark traits and behaviors, including superficial charm, callousness, irresponsibility, and antisocial behavior. The triarchic psychopathy model (TriPM) posits that psychopathy is the combination of 3 traits: boldness, disinhibition, and meanness. However, little research has examined the concurrent and developmental correlates of these traits. We developed TriPM scales from the NEO Personality Inventory-Revised using an empirical-derived approach in a high-risk sample of 561 young adults (ages 17-25; 70.2% male). Concurrent correlates and developmental precursors of each scale were examined longitudinally using cross-informant reports from 3 critical developmental periods (ages 3-5; 9-11; 15-17). Using this approach, we identified consistent developmental precursors and concurrent correlates of boldness, including lower reactive control, fewer internalizing traits, and greater resiliency. Additionally, starting in adolescence we found that disinhibition was related to lower reactive control, more externalizing problems, substance use, and internalizing traits. Finally, although meanness demonstrated some expected concurrent relationships with criterion variables in early adulthood (e.g., lower adaptive functioning), we identified few consistent developmental precursors of meanness. Thus, a NEO-based approach to measuring the TriPM was successful in delineating boldness, disinhibition, and, to a lesser extent, meanness cross-sectionally during early adulthood. However, only boldness showed relative stability from developmental precursors in early childhood to our TriPM scale in early adulthood. (PsycINFO Database Record

Conduct disorders and psychopathy in children and adolescents: aetiology, clinical presentation and treatment strategies of callous-unemotional traits

Conduct Disorder (CD) is a psychiatric diagnosis characterized by a repetitive and persistent pattern of behaviour in which the basic rights of others and major age-appropriate social norms or rules are violated. Callous Unemotional (CU) traits are a meaningful specifier in subtyping CD for more severe antisocial and aggressive behaviours in adult psychopathology; they represent the affective dimension of adult psychopathy, but they can be also detected in childhood and adolescence. The CU traits include lack of empathy, sense of guilt and shallow emotion, and their characterization in youth can improve our diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic abilities. A strong genetic liability, in interaction with parenting and relevant environmental factors, can lead to elevated levels of CU traits in children. We pointed out that CU traits can be detected in early childhood, may remain stable along the adolescence, but a decrease following intensive and specialized treatment is possible. We here provide a narrative review of the available evidences on CU traits in three main domains: aetiology (encompassing genetic liability and environmental risk factors), presentation (early signs and longitudinal trajectories) and treatments.

Callous-Unemotional Traits Moderate the Relation Between Prenatal Testosterone (2D:4D) and Externalising Behaviours in Children

Children who exhibit callous-unemotional (CU) traits are identified as developing particularly severe forms of externalising behaviours (EB). A number of risk factors have been identified in the development of CU traits, including biological, physiological, and genetic factors. However, prenatal testosterone (PT) remains un-investigated, yet could signal fetal programming of a combination of CU/EB. Using the 2D:4D digit ratio, the current study examined whether CU traits moderated the relationship between PT and EB. Hand scans were obtained from 79 children aged between 5 and 6 years old whose parents completed the parent report ICU (Inventory of Callous Unemotional Traits) and SDQ (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire). CU traits were found to moderate the relationship between PT and EB so that children who were exposed to increased PT and were higher in CU traits exhibited more EB. Findings emphasize the importance of recognising that vulnerability for EB that is accompanied by callousness may arise before birth.

Triarchic Psychopathy Dimensions in Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes): Investigating Associations with Genetic Variation in the Vasopressin Receptor 1A Gene

Vasopressin is a neuropeptide known to be associated with the development and evolution of complex socio-emotional behaviors including those relevant to psychopathic personality. In both humans and chimpanzees, recent research suggests a strong genetic contribution to individual variation in psychopathic traits. To date, however, little is known concerning specific genes that might explain the observed heritability of psychopathy. In a relatively large sample of captive chimpanzees (N = 164), the current study thus sought to investigate gene-environment associations between triarchic psychopathy dimensions (i.e., disinhibition, meanness, and boldness) and (1) early social rearing experiences and (2) polymorphisms in the promoter region of the V1A receptor gene (AVPR1A). Among chimpanzees raised by their biological conspecific mothers, AVPR1A was found to uniquely explain variability in disinhibition and in sex-specific ways for boldness and a total psychopathy score; however, in contrast, no significant associations were found between AVPR1A and any of the triarchic psychopathy dimensions in chimpanzees raised the first 3 years of life in a human nursery. Thus, when considered in its entirety, results suggest an important contributory influence of V1A receptor genotype variation in the explanation of the development of psychopathy under some but not all early rearing conditions. Results of the current study provide additional support for the assertion that psychopathic tendencies are rooted in basic, evolutionarily-meaningful dispositions, and provide support for a primate-translational operationalization of key neurobehavioral constructs relevant both to psychopathy and to broader forms of psychopathology.

Psychopathic personality traits in 5 year old twins: the importance of genetic and shared environmental influences

There is limited research on the genetic and environmental bases of psychopathic personality traits in children. In this study, psychopathic personality traits were assessed in a total of 1189 5-year-old boys and girls drawn from the Preschool Twin Study in Sweden. Psychopathic personality traits were assessed with the Child Problematic Traits Inventory, a teacher-report measure of psychopathic personality traits in children ranging from 3 to 12 years old. Univariate results showed that genetic influences accounted for 57, 25, and 74 % of the variance in the grandiose-deceitful, callous-unemotional, and impulsive-need for stimulation dimensions, while the shared environment accounted for 17, 48 and 9 % (n.s.) in grandiose-deceitful and callous-unemotional, impulsive-need for stimulation dimensions, respectively. No sex differences were found in the genetic and environmental variance components. The non-shared environment accounted for the remaining 26, 27 and 17 % of the variance, respectively. The three dimensions of psychopathic personality were moderately correlated (0.54-0.66) and these correlations were primarily mediated by genetic and shared environmental factors. In contrast to research conducted with adolescent and adult twins, we found that both genetic and shared environmental factors influenced psychopathic personality traits in early childhood. These findings indicate that etiological models of psychopathic personality traits would benefit by taking developmental stages and processes into consideration.

Etiology of Triarchic Psychopathy Dimensions in Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)

The current study undertook analyses of genealogical data from a sample of 178 socially-housed chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) with well-documented pedigrees, to clarify the etiologic bases of triarchic psychopathy dimensions and the influence of early social rearing experiences. Whereas biometric analyses for the full sample indicated significant heritability for the boldness dimension of psychopathy only, heritability estimates varied by early rearing, with all three triarchic dimensions showing significant heritabilities among mother-reared but not nursery-reared apes. For mother-reared apes, both genes and environment contributed to covariance between meanness and disinhibition, whereas environment contributed mainly to covariation between these dimensions and boldness. Results indicate contributions of both genes and environment to psychopathic tendencies, with an important role for early-rearing in their relative contributions to distinct phenotypic subdimensions. In conjunction with findings from human studies, results provide valuable insights into core biobehavioral processes relevant to psychological illness and health.

Amygdala reactivity predicts adolescent antisocial behavior but not callous-unemotional traits

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Greater amygdala reactivity to angry faces predicted youth antisocial behavior.

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Callous-unemotional traits were not related to amygdala reactivity.

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Findings were similar across sex, ethnicity, and pubertal stage.

Recent neuroimaging studies have suggested divergent relationships between antisocial behavior (AB) and callous-unemotional (CU) traits and amygdala reactivity to fearful and angry facial expressions in adolescents. However, little work has examined if these findings extend to dimensional measures of behavior in ethnically diverse, non-clinical samples, or if participant sex, ethnicity, pubertal stage, and age moderate associations. We examined links between amygdala reactivity and dimensions of AB and CU traits in 220 Hispanic and non-Hispanic Caucasian adolescents (age 11–15; 49.5% female; 38.2% Hispanic), half of whom had a family history for depression and thus were at relatively elevated risk for late starting, emotionally dysregulated AB. We found that AB was significantly related to increased right amygdala reactivity to angry facial expressions independent of sex, ethnicity, pubertal stage, age, and familial risk status for depression. CU traits were not related to fear- or anger-related amygdala reactivity. The present study further demonstrates that AB is related to increased amygdala reactivity to interpersonal threat cues in adolescents, and that this relationship generalizes across sex, ethnicity, pubertal stage, age, and familial risk status for depression.

Reward-Related Neural Correlates of Antisocial Behavior and Callous-Unemotional Traits in Young Men

BACKGROUND

Individuals involved in antisocial behavior often engage in excessive reward-driven behavior even in the face of severe punishments including incarceration. However, the neural mechanisms of reward processing in antisocial behavior have not been examined while considering the heterogeneity of antisocial behavior and specific phases of reward and loss processing. In this study, we investigate the relationship between antisocial behavior, callous-unemotional traits, and neural activity during the anticipation and receipt of rewards and losses.

METHODS

A community sample of 144 low income, racially diverse, urban males at risk for antisocial behavior completed self-report measures, a clinical interview, and an fMRI scan at age 20. Neural response during the anticipation and receipt of monetary rewards and losses was linked to antisocial behavior and callous-unemotional traits using a priori ventral striatum region of interest analyses and exploratory whole brain analyses.

RESULTS

Antisocial behavior, but not callous-unemotional traits, was related to less ventral striatum response during reward anticipation. There were no significant relationships between neural reactivity and antisocial behavior or callous-unemotional traits during reward or loss outcomes. Antisocial behavior was also related to less ventrolateral prefrontal cortex reactivity during reward and loss anticipation.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings support a hypo-reactivity model of reward and loss anticipation in antisocial behavior. Lower striatal reactivity to cues of reward and lower prefrontal-regulatory recruitment during reward and loss anticipation may contribute to maladaptive reward-related behavior found in antisocial behavior.

A psychometric investigation of gender differences and common processes across borderline and antisocial personality disorders

The comorbidity between borderline personality disorder (BPD) and antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) is well-established, and the 2 disorders share many similarities. However, there are also differences across disorders: most notably, BPD is diagnosed more frequently in women and ASPD in men. We investigated if (a) comorbidity between BPD and ASPD is attributable to 2 discrete disorders or the expression of common underlying processes, and (b) if the model of comorbidity is true across sex. Using a clinical sample of 1,400 drug users in residential substance abuse treatment, we tested 3 competing models to explore whether the comorbidity of ASPD and BPD should be represented by a single common factor, 2 correlated factors, or a bifactor structure involving a general and disorder-specific factors. Next, we tested whether our resulting model was meaningful by examining its relationship with criterion variables previously reported to be associated with BPD and ASPD. The bifactor model provided the best fit and was invariant across sex. Overall, the general factor of the bifactor model significantly accounted for a large percentage of the variance in criterion variables, whereas the BPD and AAB specific factors added little to the models. The association of the general and specific factor with all criterion variables was equal for men and women. Our results suggest common underlying vulnerability accounts for both the comorbidity between BPD and AAB (across sex), and this common vulnerability drives the association with other psychopathology and maladaptive behavior. This in turn has implications for diagnostic classification systems and treatment. (PsycINFO Database Record

Callous-unemotional behaviors in early childhood: Genetic and environmental contributions to stability and change

Callous-unemotional (CU) behaviors demonstrate meaningful individual differences in early childhood, even in nonclinical samples with low mean levels of CU, but the factors underlying this variation have not been examined. This study investigated genetic and environmental contributions to individual differences and to sources of continuity and change in CU in toddler twins (145 monozygotic, 169 dizygotic) assessed at ages 2 and 3 years. CU, as assessed by the Child Behavior Checklist 1.5-5 (Achenbach & Rescorla, 2000), was moderately stable across age (r = .45, p < .0001). Longitudinal biometric analyses revealed genetic and nonshared environmental influences on CU at both ages, with no significant contribution from shared environmental factors. Stability from age 2 to 3 was due to genetic factors, whereas change was due to both genetic and nonshared environmental influences. This genetic and nonshared environmental change was substantial, suggesting malleability of CU in early childhood. Over 50% of the genetic influences and 100% of the nonshared environmental influences on CU at age 3 were independent of those that operated at age 2. Implications of novel sources of variance across age are discussed.

Stability and predictors of psychopathic traits from mid-adolescence through early adulthood

High levels of psychopathic traits in youth are associated with multiple negative outcomes including substance misuse, aggressive behavior, and criminality. Evidence regarding stability of psychopathic traits is contradictory. No previous study has examined long-term stability of psychopathic traits assessed with validated clinical measures. The present study examined the stability of psychopathic traits from mid-adolescence to early adulthood and explored adolescent factors that predicted psychopathic traits five years later. The sample included 99 women and 81 men who had consulted a clinic for substance misuse in adolescence. At an average age of 16.8 years, the adolescents were assessed using the Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version (PCL: YV) and five years later using the PCL-Revised (PCL-R). Additionally, extensive clinical assessments of the adolescents and their parents were completed in mid-adolescence. Among both females and males, moderate to high rank-order stability was observed for total PCL and facet scores. Among both females and males, there was a decrease in the mean total PCL score, interpersonal facet score, affective facet score, and lifestyle facet score. However, the great majority of females and males showed no change in psychopathy scores over the five-year period as indicated by the Reliable Change Index. Despite the measures of multiple family and individual factors in adolescence, only aggressive behavior and male sex predicted PCL-R total scores in early adulthood after taking account of PCL:YV scores. Taken together, these results from a sample who engaged in antisocial behavior in adolescence suggest that factors promoting high psychopathy scores act early in life.

The Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits (ICU) in Children: Reliability and Heritability

Callous-unemotional (CU) traits comprise the core symptoms of psychopathy, yet no study has estimated the heritability of CU traits in a community sample of children using an instrument designed solely to assess CU traits. The current study uses data from 339 twin pairs aged 9-14 to examine the reliability and heritability of the parent-report Inventory of Callous-unemotional Traits (ICU) at two assessments approximately 3 weeks apart. Time-specific measurement error was taken into account to obtain a more accurate estimate of the heritability reflecting the latent liability to CU traits. Test-retest reliability was 0.84 and heritability at visit 1 was 39%. The heritability of the latent liability to CU traits was 47%. This latent liability contributed 79% of the variance in ICU score at visit 1 and visit 2. This is the first study to account for measurement error while examining the heritability of CU traits, furthering our understanding of psychopathy in children.

Differentiating Dark Triad Traits Within and Across Interpersonal Circumplex Surfaces

Recent discussions surrounding the Dark Triad (narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism) have centered on areas of distinctiveness and overlap. Given that interpersonal dysfunction is a core feature of Dark Triad traits, the current study uses self-report data from 562 undergraduate students to examine the interpersonal characteristics associated with narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism on four interpersonal circumplex (IPC) surfaces. The distinctiveness of these characteristics was examined using a novel bootstrapping methodology for computing confidence intervals around circumplex structural summary method parameters. Results suggest that Dark Triad traits exhibit distinct structural summary method parameters with narcissism characterized by high dominance, psychopathy characterized by a blend of high dominance and low affiliation, and Machiavellianism characterized by low affiliation on the problems, values, and efficacies IPC surfaces. Additionally, there was some heterogeneity in findings for different measures of psychopathy. Gender differences in structural summary parameters were examined, finding similar parameter values despite mean-level differences in Dark Triad traits. Finally, interpersonal information was integrated across different IPC surfaces to create profiles associated with each Dark Triad trait and to provide a more in-depth portrait of associated interpersonal dynamics.

The Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory: A Bifactor Model, Dimensionality, and Measurement Invariance

The current study examines a bifactor model for the Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory (YPI) in a Dutch community sample of adolescents ( N = 2,874). The primary goal was to examine the latent structure of the YPI with a bifactor modeling approach. Furthermore, the study examines the dimensionality and measurement invariance of the YPI. Results show that a bifactor model at subscale level fits the YPI best. The general psychopathy factor influences the 10 subscales of the YPI strongly, indicating that the YPI seems to be rather unidimensional than multidimensional. Nevertheless, the dimensions still explain nearly one third of the variance found. Findings imply that the bifactor model of the YPI should be used when examining relations with outcome variables, with a focus on the total score of the YPI, while factor scores should be reported with caution. Furthermore, the bifactor model appears invariant for gender, age, and ethnic background.

Psychopathic personality development from ages 9 to 18: Genes and environment

The genetic and environmental etiology of individual differences was examined in initial level and change in psychopathic personality from ages 9 to 18 years. A piecewise growth curve model, in which the first change score (G1) influenced all ages (9-10, 11-13, 14-15, and 16-18 years) and the second change score (G2) only influenced ages 14-15 and 16-18 years, fit the data better did than the standard single slope model, suggesting a turning point from childhood to adolescence. The results indicated that variations in levels and both change scores were mainly due to genetic (A) and nonshared environmental (E) influences (i.e., AE structure for G0, G1, and G2). No sex differences were found except on the mean values of level and change scores. Based on caregiver ratings, about 81% of variance in G0, 89% of variance in G1, and 94% of variance in G2 were explained by genetic factors, whereas for youth self-reports, these three proportions were 94%, 71%, and 66%, respectively. The larger contribution of genetic variance and covariance in caregiver ratings than in youth self-reports may suggest that caregivers considered the changes in their children to be more similar as compared to how the children viewed themselves.

Dissecting the role of amygdala reactivity in antisocial behavior in a sample of young, low-income, urban men

Neuroimaging has suggested that amygdala reactivity to emotional facial expressions is associated with antisocial behavior (AB), particularly among those high on callous-unemotional (CU) traits. To investigate this association and potential moderators of this relationship, including task/stimuli effects, subregional anatomy of the amygdala, and participant race, we used fMRI in a sample of 167 racially diverse, 20 year-old men from low-income families. We found that AB, but not CU traits, was negatively related to amygdala reactivity to fearful faces. This result was specific to fearful faces and strongest in the centro-medial subregion of the amygdala. Arrest record was positively related to basolateral amygdala reactivity to fearful and angry faces. Results were strongest among those identified as African American and not present in those identified as European American. Our findings suggest substantial complexity in the relationship between amygdala function and AB reflecting moderating effects of task stimulus, subregional anatomy, and race.

Machine learning of structural magnetic resonance imaging predicts psychopathic traits in adolescent offenders

Classification models are becoming useful tools for finding patterns in neuroimaging data sets that are not observable to the naked eye. Many of these models are applied to discriminating clinical groups such as schizophrenic patients from healthy controls or from patients with bipolar disorder. A more nuanced model might be to discriminate between levels of personality traits. Here, as a proof of concept, we take an initial step toward developing prediction models to differentiate individuals based on a personality disorder: psychopathy. We included three groups of adolescent participants: incarcerated youth with elevated psychopathic traits (i.e., callous and unemotional traits and conduct disordered traits; n=71), incarcerated youth with low psychopathic traits (n=72), and non-incarcerated youth as healthy controls (n=21). Support vector machine (SVM) learning models were developed to separate these groups using an out-of-sample cross-validation method on voxel-based morphometry (VBM) data. Regions of interest from the paralimbic system, identified in an independent forensic sample, were successful in differentiating youth groups. Models seeking to classify incarcerated individuals to have high or low psychopathic traits achieved 69.23% overall accuracy. As expected, accuracy increased in models differentiating healthy controls from individuals with high psychopathic traits (82.61%) and low psychopathic traits (80.65%). Here we have laid the foundation for using neural correlates of personality traits to identify group membership within and beyond psychopathy. This is only the first step, of many, toward prediction models using neural measures as a proxy for personality traits. As these methods are improved, prediction models with neural measures of personality traits could have far-reaching impact on diagnosis, treatment, and prediction of future behavior.

GROWING UP IS HARD TO DO: AN EMPIRICAL EVALUATION OF MATURATION AND DESISTANCE

PURPOSE

With an increase in longitudinal datasets and analyses, scholars have made theoretical advances toward understanding desistance, using biological, social, and psychological factors. In an effort to integrate the theoretical views on desistance, some scholars have argued that each of these views represents a piece of adult maturation. Yet to date, research has not empirically examined an integrated perspective. The purpose of this study is to conduct an exploratory examination of various "domains" of maturation to determine whether they explain desistance from crime separately and as a whole.

METHODS

Using the Rutgers Health and Human Development Project, a longitudinal study spanning ages 12-31, we develop exploratory measures of maturation in five domains: 1) adult social roles, 2) identity/cognitive, 3) psychosocial, 4) civic, and 5) neurocognitive. We then utilize growth curve models to examine the relationship between these domains and crime over time.

RESULTS

Although each of the domains is associated with crime at the bivariate level, only three (i.e., psychosocial, identity/cognitive transformation, and adult social role) remain significant in the growth curve models (2 in within-individual analyses). In addition, a combined measure of maturation is related to crime, indicating that greater maturation through emerging adulthood has a negative effect on criminal behavior and is, therefore, a factor influencing desistance.

CONCLUSIONS

Maturation emerges as a promising approach to integrating the multiple theoretical views that characterize the literature on desistance from crime. Further research should develop additional domains and determine the best approach for measurement.

Why psychopathy matters: Implications for public health and violence prevention

Psychopathy is an early-appearing risk factor for severe and chronic violence. The violence largely attributable to psychopathy constitutes a substantial portion of the societal burden to the public health and criminal justice systems, and thus necessitates significant attention from prevention experts. Yet, despite a vast base of research in psychology and criminology, the public health approach to violence has generally neglected to consider this key variable. Fundamentally, the public health approach to violence prevention is focused on achieving change at the population level to provide the most benefit to the maximum number of people. Increasing attention to the individual-level factor of psychopathy in public health could improve our ability to reduce violence at the community and societal levels. We conclude that the research literature on psychopathy points to a pressing need for a broad-based public health approach with a focus on primary prevention. Further, we consider how measuring psychopathy in public health research may benefit violence prevention, and ultimately society, in general.

A national Swedish longitudinal twin-sibling study of criminal convictions from adolescence through early adulthood

BACKGROUND

Prior twin and adoption studies have demonstrated the importance of both genetic and shared environmental factors in the etiology of criminal behavior (CB). However, despite substantial interest in life-course theories of CB, few genetically informative studies have examined CB in a developmental context.

METHOD

In 69,767 male-male twin pairs and full-sibling pairs with ≤ 2 years' difference in age, born 1958-1976 and ascertained from the Swedish Twin and Population Registries, we obtained information on all criminal convictions from 1973 to 2011 from the Swedish Crime Register. We fitted a Cholesky structural model, using the OpenMx package, to CB in these pairs over three age periods: 15-19, 20-24, and 25-29.

RESULTS

The Cholesky model had two main genetic factors. The first began at ages 15-19 and declined in importance over development. The second started at ages 20-24 and was stable over time. Only one major shared environmental factor was seen, beginning at ages 15-19. Heritability for CB declined from ages 15-29, as did shared environmental effects, although at a slower rate.

CONCLUSIONS

Genetic risk factors for CB in males are developmentally dynamic, demonstrating both innovation and attenuation. These results are consistent with theories of adolescent-limited and life-course persistent CB subtypes. Heritability for CB did not increase over time as might be predicted from active gene-environmental correlation. However, consistent with expectation, the proportion of variability explained by shared environmental effects declined slightly as individuals aged and moved away from their original homes and neighborhoods.