A meta-analysis of the association between psychopathy and sadism in forensic samples

O’Connell, Debra; Marcus, David K.

doi:10.1016/j.avb.2019.02.013

Cited by 19 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…Of the five offenders who were complete psychopaths (PCL-R total score = 40), three had sexual sadism diagnoses and one exhibited sexual sadism symptoms, which supports research on the interplay between these constructs [4,14]. Similarly, we observed moderate correlations between PCL-R scores and arrest charges, prison sentences, and age of arrest onset.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

“…A reason for the salience of psychopathy at capital sentencing pertains to its significant predictive validity for broad forms of antisocial behavior. Empirical research furnished significant linkages between psychopathy and conduct problems [6], delinquency [7, 8], substance use and abuse [9], violence [10,11], sexual offending [12][13][14], general offending [15], homicide offending [16][17][18], institutional misconduct [19,20], and recidivism [21,22]. Overall, psychopathy is disproportionately associated with the most serious forms of criminal violence [11,17,18,23,24].…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Psychopathy among condemned capital murderers

DeLisi

Peters

Hochstetler

et al. 2022

Journal of Forensic Sciences

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Psychopathy is an important forensic mental health construct. Despite this importance, the research base of psychopathy among individuals convicted of capital murder is limited. Archival data were collected from a sample of 636 persons convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death in the State of California. Psychopathy was assessed using the Psychopathy Checklist – Revised (PCL‐R) instrument. Data on criminal careers and other behavioral disorders were also extracted. The sample mean PCL‐R total score was 23.31 (SD = 9.92) and one‐third of individuals in this sample were considered clinically psychopathic with PCL‐R total scores of 30 or greater. Factor analytic examination yielded support for four facets: affective, interpersonal, lifestyle, and antisocial. Criterion validity findings revealed positive correlations of psychopathy scores with Antisocial Personality Disorder (ρ = 0.72), Conduct Disorder (ρ = 0.46), sexual sadism (ρ = 0.24), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ρ = 0.20), ADHD (ρ = 0.15), arrest charges (r = 0.56), prison sentences (r = 0.53), and age of arrest onset (r = −0.57). Individuals convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death reflect heterogeneity in psychopathy with some individuals exhibiting pronounced psychopathic features.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychopathy among condemned capital murderers

DeLisi

Peters

Hochstetler

et al. 2022

Journal of Forensic Sciences

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“…To some researchers, the solution is to collapse the two constructs. We are not alone in disputing that course of action (O’Connell & Marcus, 2019; Hare, Cooke, & Hart, 1999; Johnson et al, 2019; Mokros, Osterheider, Hucker, & Nitschke, 2011; Međedović, & Petrović 2018).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Second, we gave priority to sadism items already appearing in the stand-alone measures, especially, the VAST and CAST. Third, we confronted several challenges regarding the distinctiveness of sadism from the current triad members (Johnson et al, 2019; O’Connell & Marcus, 2019; Paulhus, 2014). We now consider each of these themes in turn.…”

Section: Study 1: Item Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Screening for Dark Personalities

Paulhus

Buckels

Trapnell

et al. 2021

European Journal of Psychological Assessment

175

122

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Abstract. Consensus is emerging that the constellation of dark personalities should include the sadistic personality. To build a four-factor measure, we modified and extended the Short Dark Triad (SD3) measure to include sadism. A series of three studies yielded the Short Dark Tetrad (SD4), a four subscale inventory with 7 items per construct. Study 1 ( N = 868) applied exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to a diverse 48-item pool using data collected on MTurk. A 4-factor solution revealed a separate sadism factor, as well as a shifted Dark Triad. Study 2 ( N = 999 students) applied EFA to a reduced 37-item set. Associations with adjustment and sex drive provided insight into unique personality dynamics of the four constructs. In Study 3 ( N = 660), a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of the final 28 items showed acceptable fit for a four-factor solution. Moreover, the resulting 7-item subscales each showed coherent links with the Big Five and adjustment. In sum, the four-factor structure replicated across student and community samples. Although they overlap to a moderate degree, the four subscales show distinctive correlates – even with a control for acquiescence. We also uncovered a novel link between sadism and sexuality, but no association with maladjustment.

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“…A person who avoids thinking about the consequences of eating animals to avoid being disturbed is rather different than a person who would eat or otherwise mistreat animals despite full awareness of the pain it inflicts. This difference is analogous to behavior with antisocial consequences that are not consciously intended, such as buying clothing produced in sweatshops, in contrast to the callous indifference to other humans’ pain characteristic of clinically antisocial individuals (O’Connell & Marcus, 2019). In other words, findings suggest that it is not antisocial, per se, to passively engage in socially normative behaviors that harm animals (e.g., eating meat).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Antisocial personality traits transcend species.

Hopwood¹,

Bleidorn²

2021

Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment

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Antisocial personality is generally used to describe people who treat other people with callous disregard and disrespect. Although animal cruelty is diagnostic of conduct disorder, a precursor of antisocial personality in children, it is unclear whether the term antisocial also encompasses disregard and disrespect toward non-human animals among adults. In this study we examined associations between three anti-animal attitudes and behaviors-speciesism, hunting/fishing, and lack of sympathy for animal rights-and traits that underlie adult antisocial behavior. We found consistent links between antisocial personality traits and anti-animal attitudes and behaviors in two samples. These effects were generally specific to traits linked to antisociality (although we also found associations with low openness), and these traits were stronger as predictors of variation among meat eaters than as predictors of differences between vegetarians and meat eaters. These results suggest that the term antisocial applies to negative attitudes and behaviors towards both humans and non-human animals and imply the potential value of considering anti-animal attitudes and behaviors in the clinical assessment of antisocial personality.

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A meta-analysis of the association between psychopathy and sadism in forensic samples

Cited by 19 publications

References 32 publications

Psychopathy among condemned capital murderers

Psychopathy among condemned capital murderers

Screening for Dark Personalities

Antisocial personality traits transcend species.

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