Item response theory analysis of the Triarchic Psychopathy Measure.

Abstract

This study investigated item and scale functioning in the triarchic psychopathy measure (TriPM) using an item response theory (IRT) analysis. TriPM data collected from 937 (410 men and 527 women) college students and community members were analyzed. A graded response model was utilized to analyze the items comprising the TriPM's three scales. Exploratory factor analyses (EFAs) supported the unidimensionality of the Disinhibition and Meanness scales, whereas Boldness was best represented by two domains. Each TriPM scale was found to include some items that had limited ability to differentiate between respondents possessing varying levels of the trait being measured. Across all scales, 34 items (61%) yielded evidence of significantly different responding between men and women possessing similar levels of the underlying trait, or differential item functioning (DIF). The scoring format (i.e., directly scored vs. reverse scored) also influenced item functioning, especially when the given scale included a large majority of one scoring type. Overall, the IRT and DIF results suggest that the TriPM effectively identifies disinhibition and meanness in individuals possessing high levels of those traits, and boldness at lower levels, but does not seem to identify these traits equally well in men and women. Possible revisions to the Boldness scale as well as ideas for addressing female and male DIF were provided. Public Significance StatementThe triarchic psychopathy measure (TriPM) is a self-report instrument that assesses disinhibition, meanness, and boldness. The TriPM most precisely assessed disinhibition and meanness in individuals possessing high levels of those traits, and boldness across a wider range of this trait, but the TriPM does not identify these traits equally well in men and women.

Construction and preliminary validation of an inconsistent responding scale for the HEXACO-100.

“…Sample 2 (Eichenbaum et al, 2021) included college students and North American community members recruited through MTurk. These data were collected for an item response theory study of the Triarchic Psychopathy Measure (TriPM; Patrick et al, 2009).…”

Emotional numbing: A key construct in the assessment of mental health during COVID-19 pandemic

“…This finding was consistent with a previous IRT study finding that reverse-scored items are usually uninformative when scored in the opposite direction as the majority of the other items in the scale (Eichenbaum et al, 2019). Although reverse-scored items can be applied to reduce socially desirable responding, it was suggested that the psychometric cost might outweigh these advantages (Eichenbaum et al, 2021). The face validity of the items is also questionable from a phenomenological perspective.…”

Structural differences in psychopathy between women and men: a latent modeling perspective

“…The same study further supported full SI. In the study by Eichenbaum et al (2021), 61% of the TriPM items (n = 34) displayed DIF. Women scored lower than men on all three factors in the study by Carre et al (2018;boldness, t (474) = 5.874, p < 0.001; meanness, t (474) = 8.262, p < 0.001, and disinhibition, t (474) = 3.898, p < 0.001).…”