Executive Functioning and the Two-Factor Model of Psychopathy: No Differential Relation?

Abstract

There are indications that the interpersonal affective factor and the social deviation factor, both of which are underlying dimensions of psychopathy, have a positive and a negative relationship, respectively, with executive functioning. However, this is seldom taken into consideration in the research on the relationship between executive functioning and psychopathy, which may be an explanation for the many inconsistent results in this area as reported in the literature (e.g., Rogers, 2006). In the present study, executive functioning was studied using the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) in 53 inpatients of a Dutch forensic psychiatric clinic who were classified by means of the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R). Special attention was given to the relationship between the two separate factors and executive functioning. Age, educational level, and substance abuse were controlled for in the analysis. No difference was found between psychopathic (N=17) and nonpsychopathic (N=36) patients in the WCST scoring categories, nor was there a significant difference in the four diagnostic subgroups defined by the two factors. However, the trends observed do justify further study in this direction.

Psychopathy traits are associated with self-report rating of executive functions in the everyday life of healthy adults

“…Conversely, FD was associated with better EF as reflected by the composite score and was unrelated to response inhibition. Mol and colleagues found that in an inpatient forensic sample, AI was related to worse EF while FD was related to better EF (Mol, Van Den Bos, Derks, & Egger, 2009). Recent reviews have indicated a mixed pattern of findings with regard to these relationships, one concluding that there is no clear association between the interpersonal-affective trait and EF (Baskin-Sommers et al, 2015) or that EF deficits in those with psychopathic traits exist primarily in individuals who are incarcerated compared to those who are not (Gao & Raine, 2010), while another that the evidence is inconsistent for both traits (Maes & Brazil, 2013).…”

Assessment of Psychopathy: Inter-correlations between Psychopathy Checklist Revised, Comprehensive Assessment of Psychopathic Personality – Institutional Rating Scale, and Self-Report of Psychopathy Scale–III

“…A study by Lapierre, Braun, and Hodgins (1995) However, the literature regarding the relationship between executive functioning and psychopathy as a whole is somewhat mixed (Hansen, et al, 2007;Ishikawa, Raine, Lencz, Bihrle, & Lacasse, 2001;Maes & Brazil, 2013;Mol, Van den Bos, Derks, & Egger, 2009;Pham, Vanderstukken, Philippot, & Vanderlinden, 2003; D. Rogers, 2006). A study using a dichotic listening task showed abnormal processing asymmetries for psychopaths (Hiatt, Lorenz, & Newman, 2002), this was primarily found on complex tasks involving emotional targets.…”

“…Overall is the available literature regarding psychopathy and executive functioning somewhat mixed (Maes & Brazil, 2013;Mol, et al, 2009;Pham, et al, 2003;R. D. Rogers, 2006), and one problem is that few studies have examined the separate contribution of the two PCL-R factors.…”

Investigating the Relationship between Psychopathic Personality Traits and Decision Making Deficits in a Prison Population

“…Given the heterogeneity and complexity of the psychopathy construct, it has been suggested that studies should further distinguish between subtypes or specific traits of psychopathy in relation to decision making, so the aforementioned scientific inconsistencies could be better explained [28]. For example, some researchers reason that risky decision making would be primarily related to aspects of an antisocial and impulsive lifestyle [17,29] (factor two of the Hare construct). Also, a specific relation between risky decision making and callous unemotional traits (factor one of the Hare construct) has been suggested [30], presumably due to amygdala malfunctioning [7,31,32].…”