Disengaging from evil:Longitudinal associations between the dark triad, moral disengagement, and antisocial behavior in adolescence

Previous work has identified important correlational linkages between the dark triad of personality (Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and narcissism) and antisocial behavior in adolescence. However, little is known about the longitudinal associations between these personality characteristics and antisocial behavior, and the processes underlying these linkages. We hypothesized positive bidirectional associations between the dark triad and antisocial behavior, and that increases in moral disengagement would underlie these longitudinal associations. In the current study, we examined these hypotheses in 502 Dutch adolescents (51.8% boys, Mage = 13.57, SD = 1.07) across three annual waves. Path models showed that antisocial behavior was positively associated with relative increases in moral disengagement, a general dark personality factor, and Machiavellianism specifically, but not the other way around. These paths were only observed in boys and more pronounced during the first year of the study. Finally, antisocial behavior was partly indirectly associated to psychopathy across time via antisocial behavior and moral disengagement at a later time point. Together, these findings suggest that dark personality characteristics and moral disengagement development are more likely to be the result of changes in antisocial behavior than the other way around

Workplace violence, post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, and personality

Patient violence against staff members in forensic psychiatric institutions is highly prevalent. To date, little is known about individual characteristics that increase the likelihood of being victimized. Therefore, the current cross-sectional study was designed to investigate the extent to which staff members' Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms and the Big Five personality traits are linked to perceived patient violence. Moreover, it was investigated to what extent staff members' personality affected the association between PTSD symptoms and perceived workplace victimization. Data were obtained from 353 staff members in forensic psychiatric institutions (51.8% female, age, M = 42.4, SD = 12.1). Regression analyses showed that lower levels of emotional stability and higher reports of PTSD symptoms were associated with experiencing more verbal patient violence, whereas lower levels of openness and higher levels of extraversion were associated with experiencing more physical patient violence. Personality moderated the association between PTSD symptoms and physical victimization with the association being stronger for individuals with higher levels of conscientiousness and lower levels of agreeableness. These findings provide useful information for tailoring interventions in clinical practice aimed at reducing the risk of patient-staff violence

Direct Aggression and the Balance between Status and Affection Goals in Adolescence

Previous studies have shown that status goals motivate direct forms of interpersonal aggression. However, status goals have been studied mostly in isolation from affection goals. It is theorized that the means by which status and affection goals are satisfied change during adolescence, which can affect aggression. This is tested in a pooled sample of (pre)adolescents (N = 1536; 49% girls; ages 10-15), by examining associations between status goals and direct aggression and the moderating role of affection goals. As hypothesized, with increasing age, status goals were more strongly associated with direct aggression. Moreover, for older adolescents, status goals were only associated with aggression when affection goals were weak. These findings support the changing relationship between status goals and direct aggression during adolescence

A latent profile analysis of the Psychopathic Personality Inventory in a representative sample of referred boys

A long tradition of theoretical and empirical work has described different variants (or subtypes) of psychopathy, in an attempt to delineate similarities and differences among constellations of psychopathic traits. Research in this area has the potential to increase our understanding of the etiology of different psychopathy variants, their associated risk, and protective factors, as well as to inform the development of tailored interventions. Drawing on data from a large, representative sample of referred boys incarcerated in the United States (N = 629; M age = 15.49 years, SD = 1.23), the current study adopted a person-centered approach to identify variants of incarcerated youth based on scores on the 8 Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Short Form (PPI-SF) subscales. Latent profile analysis results identified 5 variants of youth: a high-psychopathy variant, a variant with moderate psychopathy scores, and 3 variants with distinct elevations on some PPI-SF subscales. Over one third of the participants had substantially high levels of psychopathic traits, and high levels of psychopathy were associated with a severe history of delinquency. Latent profile analysis findings also supported traditional and contemporary perspectives on psychopathy variants according to which different constellations of psychopathic traits are associated with different degrees of delinquent behavior, internalizing symptoms, substance use, and victimization. Finally, it appears that, individually, none of the trait domains assessed by the PPI-SF can explain differences across variants, and that it is the co-occurrence of all of the features that characterizes the most severe form of psychopathy

Loosening the reins or tightening them?:Complex relationships between parenting, effortful control, and adolescent psychopathology

Background Adolescents face major developmental tasks such as increasing individuation and establishing autonomy. These developmental tasks increase demands on adolescent self-control, hereby putting youth with poor effortful control at risk for psychopathology. Specific parenting behaviors might be warranted to buffer against this risk. Objective This study was designed to examine parenting-related risk and protective factors in the associations between effortful control and adolescent psychopathology. We hypothesized that youth with poor effortful control require more parental involvement (i.e., lower autonomy granting) to help complete these developmental tasks and subsequently avoid psychopathology. Methods Via adolescent self-reports (N = 809), associations between effortful control, perceived parenting (i.e., psychological control and autonomy support), and externalizing (i.e., interpersonal aggression and rule-breaking) and internalizing problems (i.e., depressive and anxiety problems) were examined. Results Regression analyses supported our hypothesis in boys: higher levels of autonomy support exacerbated the negative association between effortful control and rule-breaking. In contrast, in girls this was the case for lower levels of autonomy support. For both genders, low autonomy support and psychological control exacerbated negative associations between effortful control and internalizing problems. No buffering effects of parenting were found. Conclusions Low effortful control is associated with psychopathology in adolescents, but parenting can affect this association in several ways, depending on the type of psychopathology and the adolescent’s gender. Future research should focus on finding ‘optimal’ levels of parental control that can help avoid psychopathological problems in youth with poor effortful control

The unfolding dark side:Age trends in dark personality features

Age and gender differences across the lifespan in dark personality features could provide hints regarding these features’ functions. We measured manipulation, callous affect, and egocentricity using the Dirty Dozen and their links with agreeableness in a pooled cross-sectional dataset (N = 4292) and a longitudinal dataset (N = 325). Age trends for all dark personality features were progressive through adolescence, but negative through adulthood. Men scored higher than women, but the gender gap varied with age. Trends for agreeableness partly mirrored these trends and changes in dark personality features and agreeableness were correlated. Results are discussed in light of the maturity principle of personality, gender role socialization processes, and issues regarding incremental validity of dark personality over traditional antagonism measures

A healthy peer status:Peer preference, not popularity, predicts lower systemic inflammation in adolescence

In adolescence, sensitivity to peers is heightened, which makes peer experiences highly salient. Recent work suggests that these experiences may influence individuals' immune system functioning. Although there is a need to investigate which types of developmental salient social experiences affect inflammation, no studies have examined the role of peer status in inflammatory activity so far. This study is the first to examine the unique role of different types of peer status (i.e., peer preference and peer popularity) on systemic inflammation in adolescence, and the extent to which this association is moderated by early childhood adversity. Participants were 587 Dutch adolescents from the TRacking Adolescents´ Individual Lives Survey (TRAILS). Data were collected when participants were 11 (SD = .56), 13 (SD = .53) and 16 (SD = .71) years old, respectively. At age 11, early childhood adversity (e.g., hospitalization, death within the family) between 0-5 years was assessed via parent interviews. At age 13, peer preference and peer popularity were assessed with peer nominations of classmates. At age 16, high sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP), a marker of low-grade systemic inflammation, was assessed with a venipuncture blood draw. Results showed that adolescents who were rated low on peer preference at age 13 exhibited higher levels of hsCRP at age 16. Importantly, these effects remained after controlling for several covariates, including age, sex, peer victimization, smoking behavior, SES, fat percentage, physical activity and temperament. Additionally, we found a positive effect of peer popularity on hsCRP that depended on early childhood adversity exposure. This suggests that for those adolescents who experienced little early childhood adversity, high levels of peer popularity were associated with high levels of hsCRP. Overall, these findings suggest that it is important to take into account the independent roles of peer preference and peer popularity, as specific types of peer status, to better understand adolescent systemic inflammation.</p