Examination of intelligence as a compensatory factor in non-criminal psychopathy in a non-incarcerated sample

The main goal of the current study was to evaluate intelligence as a compensatory factor in the expression of non-criminal psychopathy. This hypothesis was empirically tested in a moderation framework. Undergraduate students (n = 372) completed the Psych

Elucidating the Construct Validity of the Anitsocial Process Screening Device (APSD) in a Sample of Young Adults

The current investigation sought to examine whether an adolescent-focused measure of psychopathic personality traits, the Antisocial Process Screening Device (APSD; Frick and Hare 2001), could be appropriately used with young adults. Using a sample of university students, we examined the construct validity of the APSD by evaluating the latent factor structure and examining convergent and discriminant validity of factor scores. Results of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) indicated that a three factor structure had optimal fit in the current sample. We also compared these model results to a sample of juvenile delinquents, and these analyses indicated that the factor structure was generally invariant across these two samples. Correlation and multiple regression analyses, which examined associations between the APSD and conceptually-relevant external criteria, supported the convergent and discriminant validity of the APSD total and factor scores across two major age categories and differing samples. Implications of these results and directions for future research are discussed

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Veterans: The Utility of the MMPI-2-RF Validity Scales in Detecting Overreported Symptoms

The current investigation examined the utility of the overreporting validity scales of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF; Ben-Porath & Tellegen, 2008) in detecting noncredible reporting of symptoms of posttrau

A nomological network of psychopathy: elaboration on the construct validity of the triarchic model

Over the past several decades, several different conceptualizations of psychopathy have emerged. These conceptualizations have had some common themes (e.g., a tendency to use others, lack of empathy), but have also differed in terms of how they include or emphasize particular features related to psychopathy (e.g., criminal behavior, positive adjustment features). The Triarchic model of psychopathy (Patrick, Fowles, & Krueger, 2009) is a relatively new conceptualization which attempts to synthesize many of these previous models, measured specifically in the three domains: Boldness, Meanness, and Disinhibition. The current study sought to elaborate on the Triarchic model by investigating its internal structure, criterion validity, and construct validity in a community sample. Results of a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) indicated the factor structure of the Triarchic model (as measured by the Triarchic Personality measure [TriPM]) showed acceptable (although not excellent) fit in the current sample. In terms of criterion validity, the CFA indicated that each TriPM domain loaded on a separate factor with conceptually-relevant subscales of two other self-report psychopathy measures. Construct validity was examined by conducting correlation and regression analyses between the TriPM domains (and combinations thereof) with various psychological, neuropsychological, and psychosocial external criteria. Results indicated Boldness was associated with positive adjustment features (e.g., lack of psychopathology, fearlessness), poor facial emotion identification, cognitive flexibility and planning, and higher socioeconomic status. Meanness was associated with Narcissistic Personality Disorder, lack of empathy, lack of aggression, and better decision-making skills when under stress. Disinhibition was associated with antisocial and impulsive behavior, negative emotionality, history of outpatient mental health treatment, substance abuse, poor planning, history of being fired, and better identification of emotions. Combinations of TriPM domains also showed differential associations with external criteria (e.g., high Boldness and high Meanness was associated with increased aggression). These results indicate acceptable fit of factor structure and good convergent and discriminant validity for the Triarchic model in a community sample. Therefore, the present study suggests that this model appears to capture a wide range of features present in previous conceptualizations (e.g., positive adjustment features and antisocial behavior), and lends itself to examination of psychopathy subtypes based on combinations of psychopathy domains. (Published By University of Alabama Libraries

Evaluation of the Moderated-Expression and Differential Configuration Hypotheses in the Context of Successful or Noncriminal Psychopathy

The concept of successful psychopathy has intrigued the field, yet relatively little actual science exists to understand what makes those high in psychopathic traits more or less successful, or even what constitutes success. In the current study, we examined the validity of the moderated expression hypothesis, including an elaborated version that considers differential configuration of psychopathy traits, as accounting for differences in criminal and noncriminal (the most common operationalization of success ) expressions of psychopathy. The latter was conceptualized from the perspective of the triarchic psychopathy model. We recruited a community sample (n = 212) that had been overweighted toward psychopathic personality traits. The triarchic psychopathy domains of boldness, meanness, and disinhibition were modeled as latent constructs based on scores from multiple psychopathy measures. We examined affective processing dysfunction, various executive cognitive deficits, substance misuse, and socioeconomic indicators (income, education) as potential moderators of associations between psychopathy and criminality. We estimated a series of latent regression models in which we tested interaction effects between hypothesized moderators and a latent criminality variable. We found that affective processing dysfunction, substance misuse, and the triarchic psychopathy domain of disinhibition all moderated the association between meanness and criminality, in that the latter association was stronger as these moderators increased in severity. Disinhibition was also moderated by substance misuse and boldness by both personal income and commission errors from a go/no-go task, though in the case of the latter domain, these moderators served as protective factors against criminality

The Effect of Response Bias on the Personality Inventory for DSM?5 (PID?5)

Valid self-report assessment of psychopathology relies on accurate and credible responses to test questions. There are some individuals who, in certain assessment contexts, cannot or choose not to answer in a manner typically representative of their traits or symptoms. This is referred to, most broadly, as test response bias. In this investigation, we explore the effect of response bias on the Personality Inventory for DSM–5 (PID–5; Krueger, Derringer, Markon, Watson, & Skodol, 2013), a self-report instrument designed to assess the pathological personality traits used to inform diagnosis of the personality disorders in Section III of DSM–5. A set of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory Restructured Form (MMPI–2–RF; Ben-Porath & Tellegen, 2008/2011) validity scales, which are used to assess and identify response bias, were employed to identify individuals who engaged in either noncredible overreporting (OR) or underreporting (UR), or who were deemed to be reporting or responding to the items in a “credible” manner—credible responding (CR). A total of 2,022 research participants (1,587 students, 435 psychiatric patients) completed the MMPI–2–RF and PID–5; following protocol screening, these participants were classified into OR, UR, or CR response groups based on MMPI–2–RF validity scale scores. Groups of students and patients in the OR group scored significantly higher on the PID–5 than those students and patients in the CR group, whereas those in the UR group scored significantly lower than those in the CR group. Although future research is needed to explore the effects of response bias on the PID–5, results from this investigation provide initial evidence suggesting that response bias influences scale elevations on this instrument