Factor structure and psychometric properties of the Italian version of the Hare psychopathy checklist-youth version (PCL:YV) in a sample of adolescents with criminal convictions

Psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version

“…First, as regards to the factor structure, it was confirmed that the data produced good fit for both 13-item three-factor (Cooke & Michie, 2001) and 18-item four-factor models (Hare, 2003; with correlated latent factors, as well as the hierarchical four-factor model. Prior research has also found that data from juvenile justice samples fit adequately both with three-factor (e.g., Hillege et al, 2011;Pechorro et al, 2014;Sevecke et al, 2009) and four factor models (e.g., Neumann et al, 2006;Sabatello et al, 2020;Salekin, 2006). These results are to some extent expected if one considers that both models are quite similar, with the four-factor model representing an extension of the three-factor model with the inclusion of the Antisocial factor (persistent and varied rule breaking).…”

“…PCL:YV validity has been tested in several studies across different cultures (e.g., Das et al, 2009;Kosson et al, 2002;Sabatello et al, 2020). In Spain, Villar-Torres et al (2014) found that PCL:YV has an adequate postdictive and convergent validity by using a self-reported measure of psychopathic traits (Antisocial Process Screening Device; APSD; Frick & Hare, 2001) in a justice-involved youths sample.…”

“…The first goal was to explore the fit of one, two, three, four-factor CFA models. It was hypothesized that the 20 PCL:YV items would best load on a four-factor model with correlated factors showing adequate-to-good fit indexes considering previous results (Ellingwood et al, 2017;Forth et al, 2003;Sabatello et al, 2020) since this model has been originally validated by PCL:YV authors. We also hypothesized that a hierarchical four-factor model, 1 in which a second-order higher factor stands for the global psychopathy construct, would differ very little from the four-factor model with correlated factors and would also show adequate-togood fit (Neumann et al, 2006).…”

“…To date, few studies analyzed data from European samples finding differences when compared to North American samples such as profiles of item factor loadings or lower means (Kosson et al, 2013;Neumann et al, 2006). To our knowledge, few studies with different findings have been published regarding the structure of the PCL:YV in European countries such as Portugal (Pechorro et al, 2014), Italy (Sabatello et al, 2020), Germany (Sevecke et al, 2009) or the Netherlands (Hillege et al, 2011). The Portuguese, Dutch, and German versions supported the 3-factor model and the Italian version the 4-factor one.…”