Self-reported psychopathy and aggression motivation: a role for emotions?

Ireland, Jane L.; Lewis, Michael; Ireland, Carol A.; Derefaka, Gail; Taylor, Louise; McBoyle, Joanne; Smillie, Louise; Chu, Simon; Archer, John

doi:10.1080/14789949.2019.1705376

Cited by 8 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 41 publications

(90 reference statements)

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“…However, emotion-regulation difficulties served as a mediator between psychopathy and reactive aggression, with increased emotional detachment a mediator between psychopathy and proactive aggression. Indeed, emotional detachment appears to be a core factor in explaining proactive aggression (Ireland et al, 2020;Kimonis et al, 2006), with emotional sensitivity/under-regulation explaining reactive aggression (Long et al, 2014). Ireland et al (2020) further note how callous-unemotional traits and sadism serve to partially mediate the association between psychopathy and proactive aggression.…”

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confidence: 84%

“…Indeed, emotional detachment appears to be a core factor in explaining proactive aggression (Ireland et al, 2020;Kimonis et al, 2006), with emotional sensitivity/under-regulation explaining reactive aggression (Long et al, 2014). Ireland et al (2020) further note how callous-unemotional traits and sadism serve to partially mediate the association between psychopathy and proactive aggression. To date, there has been little examination of how increased tendencies toward proactive-reactive aggression motivation could relate to the potential (i.e., propensity) to abuse animals.…”

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confidence: 84%

“…This has been captured within the aggression-motivation literature, where researchers recognize that proactive (i.e., goal-directed) aggression has a different relationship with personality than reactive (i.e., emotional, under-regulated) aggression. Ireland et al (2020), in a series of studies using non-offending samples, found that higher levels of psychopathy, for example, is associated with higher levels of proactive and reactive aggression. However, emotion-regulation difficulties served as a mediator between psychopathy and reactive aggression, with increased emotional detachment a mediator between psychopathy and proactive aggression.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Animal Abuse Proclivity Among Women: Exploring Callousness, Sadism, and Psychopathy Traits

Ireland¹,

Birch²,

Lewis

et al. 2021

Anthrozoös

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Two studies examining adult women are presented. The first (n = 162) examined the relationship between proclivity (i.e., interest in, predisposition) to abuse animals and the link to aggression motivation, with psychopathy traits, sadism, and general maladaptive personality explored. The second study (n = 159) extended to focus on callous-unemotional traits. We predicted that proclivity to abuse would be associated with increased proactive aggression, with the former also associated with higher levels of psychopathy, sadism, and callousness. These traits were expected to mediate the relationship between proclivity to abuse and aggression. Results confirmed that between one-to twothirds of women reported at least some proclivity to abuse animals. An association between proclivity and proactive aggression was demonstrated, with callousness-uncaring and sadism representing important traits to account for. Results are discussed with attention to the implications for developing a theoretical understanding of the proclivity to abuse animals.

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confidence: 84%

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confidence: 84%

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confidence: 99%

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Animal Abuse Proclivity Among Women: Exploring Callousness, Sadism, and Psychopathy Traits

Ireland¹,

Birch²,

Lewis

et al. 2021

Anthrozoös

Self Cite

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show abstract

“…More recent research (e.g. Ireland et al, 2018) identified emotion to mediate this relationship, with callous-unemotional traits (Factor I) relating to both proactive and reactive aggression, whereas inhibitory control problems, captured as emotional dysregulation (Factor II), associated more with reactive aggression. Impulsivity, considered a core trait of Factor II psychopathy (Hare, 2003), has also been established as a fundamental characteristic of more expressive or reactive forms of aggressive behaviour (Urben et al, 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Understanding motives for aggression in forensic psychiatric patients: a preliminary study

Lewis

Ireland

2019

The Journal of Forensic Psychiatry & Psychology

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The primary aim of this study was to explore motivations underpinning aggression among men detained within conditions of high security. Thirty men residing at a high secure psychiatric hospital completed selfreport measures, including the Aggression Motivation Questionnaire, Revised EXPAGG and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-IIr. The Historical items of the Historical, Clinical and and the Psychopathy Checklist-Screening Version were rated. A subsample of participants agreed to complete a functional assessment on an aggressive incident that had occurred during their placement (n = 9). Increased psychopathy and impulsivity, and the presence historical risk items were predicted to associate with higher levels of both aggression motivation and beliefs supportive of aggression. Young age at first violent incident and personality disorder related positively to aggression motivation. Thematic analysis conducted on the functional assessments identified social recognition, emotion regulation, communication and protection as functions underpinning aggression. Results are discussed with regards to their implication for violence treatment and assessment, with a focus on motivation recommended.

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“…It is well-established that psychopathic traits are related to higher levels of aggression (Fox & DeLisi, 2019; Garofalo et al, 2020; Ireland et al, 2020). Not only do psychopathic individuals display criminal versatility, but also versatility in their aggression (Thomson, Kevorkian, et al, 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Anxiety Mediates the Link Between Psychopathy and Aggression in NGRI Acquittees

Thomson

Kevorkian

Galusha

et al. 2021

Int J Offender Ther Comp Criminol

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Psychopathy has been long associated with anxiety, and anxiety has been argued to play an important role in psychopathy-related behaviors, such as aggression. However, these associations have not yet been explored in Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity (NGRI) Acquittees. The goals of the present study were to test the correlations between the 4-facet psychopathy construct and anxiety, and to assess whether anxiety mediates the association between psychopathy and aggression. In a sample of 81 NGRI acquittees, anxiety was positively related to the lifestyle facet. When testing the mediating role of anxiety on the psychopathy-aggression link, the results showed that low anxiety mediated the link between the interpersonal facet and aggression. By contrast, high anxiety mediated the link between the lifestyle facet and aggression. These results highlight the disparate associations between specific psychopathy features and anxiety in predicting aggressive behavior. The present findings demonstrate that violence reduction strategies may need to become more tailored to individual needs when it comes to reducing risk among people with varying levels of psychopathic traits and serious mental illness.

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Self-reported psychopathy and aggression motivation: a role for emotions?

Cited by 8 publications

References 41 publications

Animal Abuse Proclivity Among Women: Exploring Callousness, Sadism, and Psychopathy Traits

Animal Abuse Proclivity Among Women: Exploring Callousness, Sadism, and Psychopathy Traits

Understanding motives for aggression in forensic psychiatric patients: a preliminary study

Anxiety Mediates the Link Between Psychopathy and Aggression in NGRI Acquittees

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