The goal of this study ( N = 432 participants from a community sample) is to report on the psychometric properties of a French adaptation of the Expanded Version of the Three-Factor Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale (E-LSRP), which was developed to alleviate some shortcomings of the original LSRP. A three correlated factor exploratory structural equation modeling model showed the best fits and attained satisfactory indices. There were significant, conceptually meaningful associations with measures of Dark Triad traits, pathological narcissism, empathy, impulsivity, substance misuse, and social desirability. Incremental validity over a 19-item scale proposed by Brinkley et al. was also mostly demonstrated, especially for convergent validity. Overall, the French E-LSRP possesses sound psychometric properties, comparable for the most part with the original instrument, and should be seen as a useful measure of psychopathic traits in community samples.

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There is evidence of a detrimental effect of emotion on reasoning. Recent studies suggest that this relationship is mediated by working memory, a function closely associated with the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC). Relying on transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), the present research explores the possibility that anodal stimulation of the dlPFC has the potential to prevent the effect of emotion on analytical reasoning. Thirty-four participants took part in a lab experiment and were tested twice: one session using offline anodal stimulation (with a 2 mA current stimulation applied to the left dlPFC for 20 min), one session using a control (sham) stimulation. In each session, participants solved syllogistic reasoning problems featuring neutral and emotionally negative contents. Results showed that anodal stimulation diminished the deleterious effect of emotion on syllogistic reasoning, but only for a subclass of problems: problems where the conclusion was logically valid. We discuss our results in the light of the reasoning literature as well as the apparent variability of tDCS effects.

recently introduced a new measure of empathy, the Affective and Cognitive Measure of Empathy (ACME). Besides assessing the traditional dimensions of cognitive and affective empathy, the ACME includes an affective dissonance scale that covers "antiempathy," an important feature of the construct with prominent predictive value not included in other empathy measures. The aim of this study is to provide data on the French version of the ACME. A sample of 851 community-dwelling participants (59.4% female) completed online the ACME questionnaire along with other measures of empathy, dark and pathological personality traits, and aggression. The original ACME bifactor exploratory structural equation modeling structure (i.e., the three empathy dimensions of Cognitive, Affective Resonance, and Affective Dissonance with positive and negative wording items as method bifactors) was successfully reproduced with the French version. Furthermore, these scales displayed satisfying internal consistency coefficients, as well as good item properties according to Classical Test Theory. Convergent validity indices were also similar to those reported for the original English version, and scale scores reached full invariance across gender and proved to be partially invariant across language when comparing the present data to those from the original validation study. The French version of the ACME is well aligned with the original English version and offers a valuable alternative to French researchers and clinicians interested in measuring the various dimensions of empathy. Public Significance StatementThis study documents factor structure, language, and gender measurement invariance, reliability, and construct validity of the French adaptation of the Affective and Cognitive Measure of Empathy (ACME-F). Results demonstrate that the French ACME is well aligned with the original English version and offers French researchers and clinicians a valuable alternative for assessing empathy.

Recent studies have shown that stress affects working memory, a phenomenon observed together with a decrease in the activity of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC). Neurostimulation techniques, such as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), now make it possible to influence the activity of the cortex. The present study explores the possibility that exogenous stimulation targeting the dlPFC may alleviate the detrimental effect of stress on working memory. Thirty-four participants took part in 2 experimental sessions, during which they performed an N-back task: one with active anodal stimulation (20 min, 2 mA, left dlPFC) and one with sham stimulation. Participants were randomly assigned to a stress or a control condition. Active stimulation reduced the detrimental effect of stress on working memory, compared to the sham condition. These results support the conclusion that stimulation of the dlPFC can moderate the impact of stress on working memory. Results also provide additional evidence that tDCS stimulation of prefrontal regions can affect higher-level cognitive processes.