Comparing the Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory (YPI) and the Psychopathy Checklist–Youth Version (PCL-YV) Among Offending Girls

Abstract

Using a multimeasure longitudinal research design, we measured psychopathy with the Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory (YPI) and the Psychopathy Checklist-Youth Version (PCL-YV) among 122 offending girls. We examined the psychometric properties of the YPI, investigated the association between the YPI and the PCL-YV, and assessed their concurrent and longitudinal association with externalizing problems on the Youth/Adult Self-Report and violent and delinquent behaviors on the Self-Report of Offending. Alphas for the YPI were adequate and there were small to moderate correlations between the YPI and PCL-YV, suggesting that each assesses distinctive personality features. The YPI and the PCL-YV were approximately equivalent in their association with concurrent and longitudinal outcomes with two exceptions, where the YPI demonstrated a stronger association with antisocial behavior. Concurrently, there was a divergent relationship between the psychopathy factor scores and antisocial outcomes. Within 2 years, the psychopathy affective factor, which constrained the YPI and PCL-YV to be equivalent, was associated with externalizing behaviors and the YPI affective factor was associated with violent offending. Approximately 4½ years later, neither measure was significantly related to antisocial behavior after accounting for past behavior. Reasons for continuity and discontinuity in risk identification are discussed.

Validation of the Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory and Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory – Short Version Among Incarcerated Juvenile Delinquents

“…Thus, this questions the reliability of these scales, since only a small portion of the variance is attributable to them (Cortina 1993;Kaplan and Saccuzzo 2009). However, these values are not exclusive to our study (e.g., Chauhan et al 2012;Declercq et al 2009) and thus may be more general issues of the YPI rather than linked to the Portuguese translation or sample. Thus, it may well be the case that some items of these subscales and dimensions need to be revised.…”

“…The validity of the YPI has further been demonstrated by significant moderate to moderate-high correlations in samples of boys and girls with the PCL: YV (r=0.29-0.51; Andershed et al 2007;Dolan and Rennie 2006b;Chauhan et al 2012;Skeem and Cauffman 2003) and even higher with the APSD (r=0.76-0.77; Seals et al 2012;Poythress et al 2006).…”

A multi-wave cross-lagged regression analysis of the Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory and Self-Reported Offending

“…Directly comparing the correlational patterns achieved using the YPI and PCL: YV, Skeem and Cauffman (2003) discovered that only the YPI achieved a significant negative correlation with anxiety; moreover, the YPI appeared to provide a more valid assessment of the core interpersonal and affective features of psychopathy. Chauhan et al (2014) note that the YPI and PCL: YV correlated modestly-tomoderately with each other and predicted future offending at roughly the same level but seemed to be assessing somewhat different constructs. To achieve a clearer understanding of the psychopathy construct future research on PCL-based and self-report-based definitions of psychopathy are required to determine which comes closest to Cleckley's (1941Cleckley's ( /1976 original formulation and whether one definition should supplant the other or whether the two definitions can be effectively integrated.…”

“…While self-report measures have obvious and inherent internal validity limitations (e.g., response styles, reading difficulties), they may provide a more reliable estimate of the cognitive and emotional features of psychopathy than a rating procedure based on data from an interview and a review of available records (Lilienfeld & Fowler, 2006). More specifically, the YPI exhibits strong internal consistency and temporal stability (Andershed et al, 2002) and adequate to good convergent (Andershed, Hodgins, & Tengström, 2007;Seals, Sharp, Michonski, & Ha, 2012), predictive (Chauhan et al, 2014;Skeem & Cauffman, 2003), and construct (Declercq, Markey, Vandist, & Verhaeghe, 2009;Poythress, Dembo, Wareham, & Greenbaum, 2006) validity.…”

The Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory-Short Version in Spanish Adolescents—Factor Structure, Reliability, and Relation with Aggression, Bullying, and Cyber Bullying

“…It contains 50 items to assess psychopathic traits among adolescents and several studies generally support its validity and reliability (e.g., Andershed et al 2007;Chauhan et al 2014;Hillege et al 2010;Neumann and Pardini 2014). Individuals with psychopathic traits are prone to lie and deceive and to be emotionally deviant but are not always aware of this themselves.…”