Two studies are reported examining the reliability and validity of Levenson's Self-Report Psychopathy Scale (LSRP; Levenson, Kiehl, & Fitzpatrick, 1995) in a noninstitutionalized population. The first study used 1,958 undergraduates to examine the factor structure of the LSRP and its relation to serious antisocial behavior and common dimensions of personality. The second study (n = 70) included performance tasks known to discriminate psychopathic from nonpsychopathic prisoners. Results of the studies support the reliability and validity of the LSRP. The 2-factor structure of the inventory was strongly replicated in a series of confirmatory factor analyses. Predicted relations were observed between the LSRP and other self-report instruments of delinquency. In addition, the factors of the LSRP demonstrated the predicted divergent relations to traditional personality traits. Finally, psychopathic undergraduates showed deficits in response modulation similar to those observed in incarcerated psychopaths. Implications for psychopathy in general are also discussed.
It has been suggested that psychopathic individuals are incapable of providing valid reports on their own personality functioning because they are either unwilling (i.e., pathologically lie) or unable (i.e. lack insight) to do so. Despite the long-standing nature of this suggestion, almost no empirical research exists on this topic. In the current study, the authors examined the issue of psychopathy and insight by testing self and informant convergence and mean level differences across 3 indices of psychopathy in a community sample (N=64). Self- and informant-report psychopathy scores were also examined in relation to self and informant reports on traits from the Five-Factor Model (FFM). Convergence was strong across the 3 psychopathy indices and their respective factors (i.e., median r=.64), and there was only modest evidence that individuals rated themselves as less psychopathic than did informants. In addition, the same FFM domains-low Agreeableness and Conscientiousness-characterized individuals with psychopathic traits regardless of reporter. Psychopathic individuals appear capable of reporting accurately on psychopathic traits when there are no direct consequences to accurate reporting (i.e., sentencing). It may be that the lack of concern for the consequences of these traits has been mistaken for a lack of insight into them.
Although individuals low in self-control are more likely to engage in antisocial and criminal behavior, few studies have investigated its sources. Gottfredson and Hirschi argue that primary caregivers are largely responsible, whereas Wikström and Sampson contend that self-control is partially a function of neighborhood context. Using data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods, the authors assessed neighborhood effects on children’s self-control. They found significant variation in self-control between neighborhoods, but it accounted for a small amount of the total variance. In the initial model, neighborhood structural characteristics had direct effects on self-control, but after taking into account individual-level characteristics, they became nonsignificant. Furthermore, parenting variables exhibited significant and consistent effects on self-control. The authors consider the theoretical implications of the findings, address limitations, and provide suggestions for future research.
There has been a recent push to extend the construct of psychopathy into adolescence, primarily as a result of the impressive reliability, validity, and utility of this construct in samples of adults. The value of this work rests, however, on creating an equally reliable and valid assessment tool for adolescents. One promising measure is the Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version (A. E. Forth, D. S. Kosson, & R. D. Hare, 2003). The current study uses a large, diverse sample of serious adolescent offenders to assess the overall fit of various underlying factor structures of this measure and to test the equivalence of these models across sex and race/ethnicity. The results suggest that either a 3-or 4-factor model provides the best overall fit and that these models are invariant across sex and race/ ethnicity. The decision to use the 3-or 4-factor model will likely hinge on researchers' underlying conceptualization of psychopathy, specifically whether antisocial behavior is viewed as a core feature of this construct. KeywordsPsychopathy Checklist; Youth Version; factor structure; serious adolescent offenders The last two decades have seen an increasing interest in the construct of psychopathy. This interest has been fueled by findings that measures of psychopathy are unsurpassed predictors of recidivism (Hart, Kropp, & Hare, 1988) and that psychopaths are among the most versatile, prolific, and violent offenders (Rice, Harris, & Quinsey, 1990). Unfortunately, there is also the belief that this condition is exceptionally difficult to treat effectively (Ogloff, Wong, & Greenwood, 1990;Rice, Harris, & Cormier, 1992; cf. Skeem, Monahan, & Mulvey, 2002, for another perspective). Taken together, these findings have made psychopathy research a highly topical and controversial area. NIH-PA Author ManuscriptNIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author Manuscript investigation. First, the study of psychopathy during childhood or adolescence may reveal important insights into the etiology of this disorder (Forth & Burke, 1998;Lynam, 1996). Second, given the recalcitrant nature of psychopathy in adulthood, some have suggested that intervention and treatment efforts might yield more success if implemented at an earlier age (Forth & Mailloux, 2000;Frick, Barry, & Bodin, 2000). Third, the assessment of psychopathy during adolescence might be useful for risk assessment and case management of juvenile offenders (Campbell, Porter, & Santor, 2004;Corrado, Vincent, Hart, & Cohen, 2004). Thus, there are a number of important reasons to explore the construct of psychopathy among adolescents.Despite these rationales for studying adolescent psychopathy, several authors have expressed serious concerns regarding the applicability of this construct in children and adolescents (Edens, Skeem, Cruise, & Cauffman, 2001;Seagrave & Grisso, 2002). Hart, Watt, and Vincent (2002) posed three broad questions: (a) Does juvenile psychopathy exist, (b) does it resemble adult psychopathy, and (c) can it be assessed reliably? These concerns revolve aroun...
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