Comparison of procedures for the assessment of psychopathy.

Compared clinical-behavioral and self-report measures of psychopathy in 274 male prison inmates (mean age 29.8 yrs). Assessment procedures included global clinical ratings, a 22-item checklist, DSM-III criteria for antisocial personality disorder, and self-report version of the 22-item checklist, the Socialization scale of the California Psychological Inventory, and the MMPI. Agreement among the various assessment procedures was evaluated with correlational analyses, discriminant function analyses, and kappa coefficients of diagnostic agreement. Results indicate that there was stronger agreement among the clinical-behavioral measures (ratings, checklist, and DSM-III) than among the self-report measures. Agreement between these 2 measurement domains was, with few exceptions, poor. Findings suggest that caution should be exercised when comparisons are made among studies in which different assessment procedures for psychopathy are used. (27 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Identifying youths at risk for institutional misconduct: A meta-analytic investigation of the psychopathy checklist measures.

Identifying and intervening with youths who may be prone to misconduct and aggression is an important management task in institutional settings. Psychopathy, typically assessed via the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) or Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version (PCL:YV), has been asserted to be a prominent predictor of acting out among youths, even in controlled environments such as detention facilities or psychiatric hospitals. The present study investigated this association meta-analytically by aggregating effect sizes for three types of institutional misconduct (total, aggressive, physically violent) across 15 samples (N = 1,310). The weighted mean correlations ranged from .24 to .28, although there was considerable heterogeneity for aggressive and physically violent misbehavior. The file drawer problem was reflected in the variability in aggressive misconduct, with published studies reporting larger effects (weighted r = .33) than unpublished reports (weighted r = .14). Moreover, this difference could not be explained in terms of differing methodological quality between published and unpublished studies. Failure to consider the totality of the extant research may lead to inflated perceptions of the predictive utility of juvenile psychopathy measures in institutional settings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Generalizability theory.

Generalizability Theory (GT) provides a flexible, practical framework for examining the dependability of behavioral measurements. GT extends classical theory by (a) estimating the magnitude of multiple sources of measurement error, (b) modeling the use of a measurement for both norm-referenced and domain-referenced decisions, (c) providing reliability (generalizability) coefficients tailored to the proposed uses of the measurement, and (d) isolating major sources of error so that a cost-efficient measurement design can be built. Unfortunately, GT has not been readily accessible to psychological researchers. G theory's inaccessibility may explain why classical theory remains the preferred method for estimating reliability. The purpose of this article is to present GT and its wide applicability to a broad audience. Our intent is to demystify GT and provide a useful tool to psychological researchers and test developers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Do black and white youths differ in levels of psychopathic traits? A meta-analysis of the psychopathy checklist measures.

Putative ethnic group differences in various forms of psychopathology may have important theoretical, clinical, and policy implications. Recently, it has been argued that individuals of African descent are more likely to be psychopathic than those of European descent (R. Lynn, 2002). Preliminary evidence from the Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version (A. Forth, D. Kosson, & R. Hare, 2003) offers some support for this contention, with Black youths rated as moderately higher (Cohen's d = .61) than White youths in a large institutional sample (n = 945). To examine this issue more exhaustively, the authors meta-analyzed adolescent psychopathy data from several studies (combined N = 2,199) and obtained a much smaller mean difference (dw = .20, p = .03), although considerable heterogeneity was evident among the effect sizes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Machiavellianism and psychopathy.

An integration of the Machiavellianism (MACH) and psychopathy constructs based on a dimensional view of personality and personality disorders and a recognition of B. Karpman's (1941, 1948) conceptual distinction between primary and secondary psychopathy is presented. Positive associations between MACH and both primary and secondary psychopathy were found. It is concluded that the Mach-lV is a global measure of psychopathy in noninstitutionalized populations (i.e., one that assesses but confounds both primary and secondary psychopathy) and that the primary differences between MACH and psychopathy are not traceable to substantive theoretical issues but to the different professional affiliations they are associated with: personality and social psychology and clinical psychology, respectively. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Scale analysis of a fatigue checklist.

Two 13-item equivalent-form fatigue check-lists were developed by the scale discrimination method. The items, individually and collected were demonstrated to have validity by comparison of the scores of experimental subjects tested during and after a 4 ?-hour period on a pursuit task, with the scores of controls who were not required to perform any task. Checklist reliabilities were of the order of .90 and both sets of items met the criteria of unidimensionality of a Guttman scale analysis. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Assessment of psychopathy as a function of age.

The assessment of psychopathy was examined as a function of age in 889 male prison inmates between the ages of 16 and 69. Ratings of psychopathy were made with the Psychopathy Checklist (PCL), which measures 2 correlated factors. Factor 1 describes a cluster of affective-interpersonal traits central to psychopathy. Factor 2 describes traits and behaviors associated with an unstable, unsocialized lifestyle, or social deviance. Cross-sectional analyses revealed that mean scores on Factor 1 were stable across the age-span; mean scores on Factor 2 declined with age. The prevalence of antisocial personality disorder, and, to a lesser extent of PCL-defined psychopathy, also declined with age. The results are consistent with a conceptualization of psychopathy as encompassing 2 correlated but distinct constructs. They also suggest that age-related differences in traits related to impulsivity, social deviance, and antisocial behavior are not necessarily paralleled by differences in the egocentric, manipulative, and callous traits fundamental to psychopathy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Longitudinal evidence that psychopathy scores in early adolescence predict adult psychopathy.

This study examined the relation between psychopathy assessed at age 13 by using the mother-reported Childhood Psychopathy Scale (D. R. Lynam, 1997) and psychopathy assessed at age 24 by using the interviewer-rated Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version (PCL:SV; S. D. Hart, D. N. Cox, & R. D. Hare, 1995). Data from over 250 participants of the middle sample of the Pittsburgh Youth Study were used to examine this relation; approximately 9% of the sample met criteria for a possible PCL:SV diagnosis. Despite the long time lag, different sources, and different methods, psychopathy from early adolescence into young adulthood was moderately stable (r=.31). The relation was present for the PCL:SV total and facet scores, was not moderated by initial risk status or initial psychopathy level, and held even after controlling for other age 13 variables. Diagnostic stability was somewhat lower. Both specificity and negative predictive power were good, and sensitivity was adequate, but positive predictive power was poor. This constitutes the first demonstration of the relative stability of psychopathy from adolescence into adulthood and provides evidence for the incremental utility of the adolescent psychopathy construct. Implications and future directions are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparison of measures of psychopathy.

397 inmates of adult correctional institutions were administered the revised Activity Preference Questionnaire, 16 PF, Eysenck Personality Inventory, MMPI, Sensation-Seeking Scale, and Personal Opinion Study. Inspection of correlations and factors associated with indices of psychopathy showed no substantial agreement among the scales. Implications for the study of psychopathy are drawn. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Assessment of psychopathy in a population of incarcerated adolescent offenders.

The reliability, validity, and factor structure of a modified version of the Psychopathy Checklist—Revised (PCL—R) for adolescents was investigated, completed using file information only, in a sample of incarcerated Black and White male adolescents. Interrater reliability and internal consistency were high, and confirmatory factor analyses and coefficients of congruence showed that the factor structure in this sample resembled the 2-factor solution found in adults. No significant racial differences were found for reliability or mean PCL—R scores. In addition, relationships between PCL—R scores and psychometric measures and behavioral indicators of maladjustment were similar to those previously found in adult populations. The construct of psychopathy, as defined by the PCL—R modified for use with adolescents, appears applicable to both Black and White adolescent male offenders. The study gives evidence for the structural and substantive validity of the modified PCL—R in this population. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Increased testosterone-to-cortisol ratio in psychopathy.

Only a few studies have examined hormones in psychopathy, and results have been mixed. It has been suggested that because hormone systems are highly interconnected, it may be important to examine multiple systems simultaneously to gain a clearer picture of how hormones work together to predispose for a certain construct. In the present study, we attempt to clarify the role of the hormones cortisol and testosterone in psychopathy by examining both hormones in a community sample of 178 adults demonstrating a wide range of psychopathy scores. Results showed that psychopathy scores were associated with an increased ratio of testosterone (baseline) to cortisol responsivity to a stressor. Psychopathy was not associated with either of these measures independently or with baseline cortisol levels. These findings suggest that these highly interconnected hormone systems may work in concert to predispose to psychopathy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Predictors of psychopathy and release outcome in a criminal population.

Additional construct validity of R. D. Hare's (see record 1982-02477-001) Psychopathy Checklist (PCL) was sought by comparing empirically derived predictors of recidivism with PCL scores among 93 inmates who were first released on temporary absences and subsequently followed on parole. The PCL proved to be reliable and a more efficient predictor of release outcome than an empirically derived predictive index. Psychopathy ratings predicted outcome for both temporary absence and parole release. PCL scores and actuarial prediction scales of recidivism were found to be highly correlated, even after deleting overlapping items. In addition, psychopathy was significantly related to mean time before recommittal. Significant differences between nonpsychopaths and psychopaths were also found when unequal follow-up time was controlled. Psychopaths were recommitted 4 times more frequently than nonpsychopaths. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Refining the construct of psychopathy: Towards a hierarchical model.

Psychopathy is characterized by diverse indicators. Clinical accounts have emphasized 3 distinct facets: interpersonal, affective, and behavioral. Research using the Psychopathy Checklist–Revised (PCL–R), however, has emphasized a 2-factor model. A review of the literature on the PCL–R and related measures of psychopathy, together with confirmatory factor analysis of PCL–R data from North American participants, indicates that the 2-factor model cannot be sustained. A 3-factor hierarchical model was developed in which a coherent superordinate factor, Psychopathy, is underpinned by 3 factors: Arrogant and Deceitful Interpersonal Style, Deficient Affective Experience, and Impulsive and Irresponsible Behavioral Style. The model was cross-validated on North American and Scottish PCL–R data, Psychopathy Screening Version data, and data derived from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; American Psychiatric Association, 1994) antisocial personality disorder field trial. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Generalizability of treatment studies utilizing solicited patients.

States that although clinical researchers have turned increasingly to media advertisements in recent years to obtain sufficiently large and homogeneous samples for psychotherapy and psychopharmacological treatment outcome studies, it has not been clear to what extent it is possible to generalize from solicited to traditionally referred patient populations. A review of 14 studies that compared solicited and nonsolicited patient groups treated or studied in clinical settings suggests that it may be possible to generate relatively comparable samples of solicited and nonsolicited patients, in terms of pretreatment symptomatology, provided there is adequate screening. Although the existing data suggest that treatment response may also be similar across these groups, these data are too limited to permit conclusions regarding generalizability of treatment efficacy findings based in solicited patient samples. Possible implications for treatment outcome of differences found on 2 variables (presence of precipitants and duration of illness) are discussed. (40 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Biofeedback and electrodermal self-regulation in psychopathy.

Examined the degree to which psychopaths can learn to modify their spontaneous skin resistance responses (SSRRs) using intructions and biofeedback. Ten clinically defined psychopaths and 12 control Ss were tested, using a within-S design. Ss were required to increase and decrease the frequency of SSRRs, first without feedback, then with biofeedback training, and finally without feedback. During prefeedback with instructions alone, control Ss were able to raise SSRRs relative to resting baselines, but psychopaths showed no SSRR control. After 16 min of biofeedback training, both groups were able to raise and lower their SSRRs to a comparable degree. The results for heart rate, measured at the same time, presented the opposite pattern; during prefeedback with instructions alone, both groups produced comparable increases in heart rate, but in postfeedback the controls maintained heart rate whereas the psychopaths did not. Data suggest that psychopaths are as capable of learning to voluntarily regulate electrodermal activity as are controls, but they still differ in autonomic patterning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Assessment of psychopathy in male young offenders.

We investigated the psychometric properties of an 18-item modification of the Psychopathy Checklist (PCL) in a sample of 75 male young offenders incarcerated in a maximum-security institution. The distribution and psychometric properties of PCL scores were similar to those found previously (e.g., R. D. Hare; see record 1985-20280-001) in samples of young adult inmates. PCL scores were significantly correlated with the number of conduct-disorder symptoms, previous violent offenses, violent behavior in the institution, and violent recidivism. These and related results from several other studies indicate that the PCL shows promise as a research instrument for the assessment of psychopathy in male young offenders. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Detecting psychopathy from thin slices of behavior.

This study is the first to demonstrate that features of psychopathy can be reliably and validly detected by lay raters from “thin slices” (i.e., small samples) of behavior. Brief excerpts (5 s, 10 s, and 20 s) from interviews with 96 maximum-security inmates were presented in video or audio form or in both modalities combined. Forty raters used these excerpts to complete assessments of overall psychopathy and its Factor 1 and Factor 2 components, various personality disorders, violence proneness, and attractiveness. Thin-slice ratings of psychopathy correlated moderately and significantly with psychopathy criterion measures, especially those related to interpersonal features of psychopathy, particularly in the 5- and 10-s excerpt conditions and in the video and combined channel conditions. These findings demonstrate that first impressions of psychopathy and related constructs, particularly those pertaining to interpersonal functioning, can be reasonably reliable and valid. They also raise intriguing questions regarding how individuals form first impressions and about the extent to which first impressions may influence the assessment of personality disorders. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Some relationships between the MMPI and a problem checklist.

Problem Checklist responses and MMPI T-scores were obtained for 335 male and 125 female student counselees. The most frequently checked problems dealt with educational and vocational difficulties, and males were nearly twice as variable as females in number of problems checked. "In general, there seems to be some logical correspondence between several of the Checklist problems and personality characteristics as assessed by the MMPI… [but]… Since the number of individuals in most of the high scale groups was so small… valid inference from the… results is impossible." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)