Factor structure and construct validity of the Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy scale (LSRP):A replication and extension in Dutch nonclinical participants

The Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy (LSRP) scale is widely used to assess psychopathic traits in noninstitutionalized samples. Recent studies suggest that a three-factor structure measuring Egocentricity, Callousness, and Antisocial factors outperformed the original two-factor structure of the LSRP. This study replicated and extended these findings by examining the factor structure and construct validity of a Dutch version of the LSRP in a community sample (N = 856, subsamples ranging between 140 and 572 participants). Confirmatory factor analysis results corroborated the superiority of the three-factor model of the LSRP, using 19 of the 26 LSRP items. Limitations included the need to specify correlated residuals for some indicators, although these were largely in line with prior studies. Across three subsamples, we found evidence for construct validity of the LSRP subscales. Egocentricity and Antisocial showed a pattern of differential associations with external correlates in accordance with theoretical expectations. Callousness shared some correlates with Egocentricity, others with Antisocial, and uniquely predicted low morality and high physical aggression. Few exceptions to the hypothesized associations were observed, mostly concerning Callousness. Overall, the LSRP three-factor model received further support in a Dutch sample, and is thus recommended in future research, possibly adding items to improve the performance of the Callousness factor

Elucidating the Construct Validity of the Psychopathic Personality Inventory Triarchic Scales

This study sought to replicate and extend Hall and colleagues’ (2014) work on developing and validating scales from the Psychopathic Personality Inventory (PPI) to index the triarchic psychopathy constructs of boldness, meanness, and disinhibition. This study also extended Hall et al.’s initial findings by including the PPI Revised (PPI–R). A community sample (n D 240) weighted toward subclinical psychopathy traits and a male prison sample (n D 160) were used for this study. Results indicated that PPI–Boldness, PPI–Meanness, and PPI–Disinhibition converged with other psychopathy, personality, and behavioral criteria in ways conceptually expected from the perspective of the triarchic psychopathy model, including showing very strong convergent and discriminant validity with their Triarchic Psychopathy Measure counterparts. These findings further enhance the utility of the PPI and PPI–R in measuring these constructs

Examination of Differential Validity of MMPI-2-RF Scores by Gender and Ethnicity in Predicting Future Suicidal and Violent Behaviors in a Forensic Sample

Given the diversity of individuals who undergo psychological assessment, examining whether cultural bias exists in psychological assessment instruments (i.e., differential validity) is crucial. This issue occurs when a measure systematically over- or underpredicts a criterion across demographic groups or is associated with the criterion unequally across the groups. We tested the differential validity of a widely used psychological test, the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF), as a function of gender (male, female) and ethnicity (Caucasian, African American, and Hispanic/Latino American) in large samples of forensic psychiatric inpatients. Regression models were estimated in a multigroup framework. The analyses yielded negligible to small statistical evidence of differential validity in MMPI-2-RF scores predicting the number of future suicidal behaviors and violent behaviors in the samples. This evidence supports use of the MMPI-2-RF as a generally unbiased instrument for predicting key criteria across genders and ethnicities in a forensic psychiatric population

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

Utility of the MMPI–2-RF (Restructured Form) Validity Scales in Detecting Malingering in a Criminal Forensic Setting: A Known-Groups Design

The current study examined the utility of the recently released Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory—2 Restructured Form (MMPI–2-RF; Ben-Porath & Tellegen, 2008) validity scales to detect feigned psychopathology in a criminal forensic setting. We used a known-groups design with the Structured Interview of Reported Symptoms (SIRS; Rogers, Bagby, & Dickens, 1992) as the external criterion to determine groups of probable malingering versus nonmalingering. A final sample of 125 criminal defendants, who were administered both the SIRS and the MMPI–2-RF during their evaluations, was examined. The results indicated that the two MMPI–2-RF validity scales specifically designed to detect overreported psychopathology, F-r and FP-r, best differentiated between the malingering and nonmalingering groups. These scales added incremental predictive utility to one another in this differentiation. Classification accuracy statistics substantiated the recommended cut scores in the MMPI–2-RF manual (Ben-Porath & Tellegen, 2008) in this forensic setting. Implications for these results in terms of forensic assessment and detection of malingering are discussed. DOI: 10.1037/a001822

On the Convergence Between PSY-5 Domains and PID-5 Domains and Facets: Implications for Assessment of DSM-5 Personality Traits

The DSM-5 Personality and Personality Disorders workgroup and their consultants have developed the 220-item, self-report Personality Inventory for the DSM-5 (PID-5) for direct assessment of the proposed personality trait system for DSM-5; however, most p

Les progrès dans la réalisation de la classification quantitative de la psychopathologie

Shortcomings of approaches to classifying psychopathology based on expert consensus have given rise to contemporary efforts to classify psychopathology quantitatively. In this paper, we review progress in achieving a quantitative and empirical classification of psychopathology. A substantial empirical literature indicates that psychopathology is generally more dimensional than categorical. When the discreteness versus continuity of psychopathology is treated as a research question, as opposed to being decided as a matter of tradition, the evidence clearly supports the hypothesis of continuity. In addition, a related body of literature shows how psychopathology dimensions can be arranged in a hierarchy, ranging from very broad "spectrum level'' dimensions, to specific and narrow clusters of symptoms. In this way, a quantitative approach solves the "problem of comorbidity'' by explicitly modeling patterns of co-occurrence among signs and symptoms within a detailed and variegated hierarchy of dimensional concepts with direct clinical utility. Indeed, extensive evidence pertaining to the dimensional and hierarchical structure of psychopathology has led to the formation of the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP) Consortium. This is a group of 70 investigators working together to study empirical classification of psychopathology. In this paper, we describe the aims and current foci of the HiTOP Consortium. These aims pertain to continued research on the empirical organization of psychopathology; the connection between personality and psychopathology; the utility of empirically based psychopathology constructs in both research and the clinic; and the development of novel and comprehensive models and corresponding assessment instruments for psychopathology constructs derived from an empirical approach. (C) 2020 Published by Elsevier Masson SAS

A factor mixture model approach to elaborating on offender mental health classification with the MMPI-2-RF

A large proportion of prison inmates suffer from mental illnesses or severe personality disorders; therefore, offender classification is a worthwhile endeavor both for efficiently allocating mental health treatment resources and security risk classification. This study sought to elaborate on offender classification by using an advanced statistical technique, factor mixture modeling, which capitalizes on the strengths of both latent trait analysis and latent class analysis. A sample consisting of 616 male and 194 female prison inmates was used for this purpose. The MMPI-2-RF Restructured Clinical (RC) scales were used to elaborate on a variety of latent trait, latent class, and factor mixture models. A 3-factor, 5-class mixture model was deemed optimal in this sample. Remaining MMPI-2-RF scales as well as scores on external criterion measures relevant to externalizing psychopathology were used to further elaborate on the utility of the resulting latent classes. These analyses indicated that 3 of the 5 classes were predominantly different expressions of externalizing personality proclivities, whereas the remaining 2 indicated inmates with substantial internalizing or thought-disordered characteristics. Implications of these findings are discussed

Elaborating on the Construct Validity of the Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale in Incarcerated and Non-Incarcerated Samples

The Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale (LSRP) is a promising, efficient measure of the psychopathic personality. Previous examinations of its latent structure have yielded inconsistent results; therefore, the goal of the current study was to evaluat

Elucidating the Complex Associations between Psychopathy and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder from the Perspective of Trait Negative Affectivity

The current study examined associations between psychopathy, its two facets of fearless-dominance and impulsive-antisociality, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. It was hypothesized that the psychopathy facets would show respective differential negative and positive associations with PTSD symptoms; in turn, these associations were expected to be fully accounted for by negative affectivity. In a sample of 481 university students, psychopathy traits were differentially associated with PTSD symptoms as expected. Using structural equation modeling, it was found that negative affectivity explained 76% of the shared variance for PTSD and impulsive-antisociality; it accounted for 80% of the observed negative association between PTSD and fearless-dominance