Longitudinal Validation of the Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy (LSRP) Scale in a High-Risk Dutch Community Sample

Abstract

The Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy (LSRP) scale is a self-report measure that can be used to assess psychopathic traits in community samples, and recent research suggested that its three-factor model (Egocentricity, Callousness, and Antisocial) has promising psychometric properties. However, no study to date has validated the LSRP in a longitudinal framework. The present study sought to validate the LSRP scale in a longitudinal design using a sample of Dutch emerging adults ( ns = 970 and 693 at time points 1 and 2, respectively). We assessed longitudinal measurement invariance and the stability of psychopathic traits over an 18-month time period, from age 20 to age 21.6. Furthermore, we replicated and extended findings on the factor structure, reliability, and construct validity of the Dutch LSRP scale. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the three-factor model fit the data well. Evidence of partial longitudinal measurement invariance was observed, which means that the Dutch translation of the LSRP scale is measuring an equivalent construct (and overall latent factor structure) over time. Psychopathic traits were relatively stable over time. The three LSRP subscales showed largely acceptable levels of internal consistency at both time points and showed conceptually expected patterns of construct validity and predictive validity, with a few notable exceptions.

The role of subclinical psychopathic traits on experimentally induced self- and other-compassion

“…The internal reliability values of the callousness and antisocial LSRP subscales were rather low, which might be due to the small number of scale items (e.g., Taber, 2018 ). Still, these levels are comparable to that of other studies ( Wissenburg et al, 2020 ), and still exceeding the generally accepted level of >0.50 ( Watkins, 2017 ). Inter-correlations between the study variables are shown in Table 2 .…”

“…The LSRP is a preferable psychopathy measure in general population samples, given that its focus does not lie on rather pathological, explicit, and overt antisocial behavior ( Garofalo et al, 2019 ). Although originally containing 26 items ( Levenson et al, 1995 ), we used the 19- items version that has been shown to be superior in reflecting the LSRP three-factor model of psychopathy, i.e., egocentricity, callousness, and antisociality ( Garofalo et al, 2019 ; Wissenburg et al, 2020 ). The 19 items were scored on a 4-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (completely disagree) to 4 (completely agree).…”

“…The 19 items were scored on a 4-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (completely disagree) to 4 (completely agree). In a general and high-risk community sample, internal consistency of the total score was found to be between α = 0.79 and 0.85, and between α = 0.52 and 0.86 for its subfactors (Garofalo et al, 2019;Wissenburg et al, 2020).…”

Propiedades Psicométricas de la Escala de Psicopatía de Levenson en Población General y Penitenciaria

“…Las propiedades psicométricas de la LSRP han sido estudiadas en varios países como Bulgaria (Psederska et al, 2020), China (Wang et al, 2018), Estados Unidos de América (Brinkley et al, 2008;Lynam et al, 1999;Miller et al, 2008), Francia (Maheux-Caron et al, 2018, Italia (Somma et al, 2014), Nueva Zelanda (Sellbom, 2011), Países Bajos (Garofalo et al, 2019;Wissenburg et al, 2022), Portugal (Coelho et al, 2010 y España (Andreu-Rodríguez et al, 2018;Camacho-Guerrero et al 2011). Los resultados de dichos estudios se discuten a continuación.…”

“…En general, la LSRP muestra adecuados indicadores de confiabilidad y de validez concurrente con otras pruebas como la PCL-R y el PPI (Salvador et al, 2016). Asimismo, también las puntuaciones de escala se mantienen bastante estables después de un periodo de 18 meses (Wissenburg et al, 2022).…”