Using latent variable- and person-centered approaches to examine the role of psychopathic traits in sex offenders.

Abstract

The current study employed both latent variable- and person-centered approaches to examine psychopathic traits in a large sample of sex offenders (N = 958). The offenders, who had committed a range of sexual crimes, had been assessed with the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R; Hare, 2003). Structural equation modeling results indicated that the four-factor model of psychopathy (Hare, 2003; Neumann, Hare, & Newman, 2007) provided good representation of the dimensional nature of psychopathic traits across the sample of offenders, and that the PCL-R factors significantly predicted sexual crimes. In particular, the Affective and Antisocial psychopathy factors each predicted sexually violent crimes. Latent profile analysis results revealed evidence for a 4-class solution, with the subtypes showing distinct PCL-R facet profiles, consistent with previous research. The four subtypes were validated using sexual crime profiles. The prototypic psychopathy subtype (high on all 4 PCL-R facets) evidenced more violent sexual offenses than did the other subtypes. Taken together, the results demonstrate how variable- and person-centered approaches in combination can add to our understanding of the psychopathy construct and its correlates. (PsycINFO Database Record

A Latent Profile Analysis of Violent Offenders Based on PCL-R Factor Scores: Criminogenic Needs and Recidivism Risk

“…In the first part, we used LPA with a complete sample of violent offenders to determine if a manifest psychopathic subtype could be differentiated from other offender subtypes. Based on the theoretical literature and previous empirical findings (7, 25), we expected to find four viable latent classes (or profiles) of PCL-R facet scores. In accordance with the findings from North American and Swedish samples of adult male offenders (5, 7), we expected to find a class indicative of primary psychopathy with high average scores on all four PCL-R factors, a sociopathic class with low average scores on Factor 1 and high average scores on Factor 2, a class indicative of callous-conning offenders (with high average scores on Factor 1 and low average scores on Factor 2), and a general offender class with average low scores on all factors.…”

“…Here, Neumann et al (7) as well as Krstic et al (25) used total, unselected offender samples and identified four subtypes: prototypic (high scores on all four facets), callous-conning (elevated Interpersonal and Affective facet scores), sociopathic (elevated Lifestyle and Antisocial facet scores), and general offender (relatively low scores on all four facets). Validation analyses by Krstic et al (25) using offense behavior showed prototypic subtype offenders to be more violent in the commission of their sexual crimes (compared to all other three subtypes) and general offenders to engage in more sexual behavior (compared to sociopathic offenders). These results indicate that the use of a total sample provides evidence of a range of subtypes, which may also vary considerably in their recidivism risk, criminogenic needs, and response to treatment.…”

Risk as reward: Reinforcement sensitivity theory and psychopathic personality perspectives on everyday risk-taking

“…All three of these traits are relevant for explaining youth (e.g., Sitney, Caldwell & Caldwell, 2016) and adult (e.g. Krstic et al, 2017;Shepherd, Campbell & Ogloff, 2016) offending behaviour. However, not all societal problems are criminal in nature and risk-taking in financial, health and recreational domains may also lead to negative social consequences.…”

Psychopathic Traits and Deviant Sexual Interests: The Moderating Role of Gender

“…In the realm of externalizing behavior, psychopathy is also associated with deviant sexual behavior (Krstic et al, 2018;Mokros, Osterheider, Hucker, & Nitschke, 2011;Muñoz, Khan, & Cordwell, 2011;Williams et al, 2009;Woodworth et al, 2013), although the association between psychopathy and deviant sexuality has been relatively understudied so far and also has produced mixed findings (Garofalo, Bogaerts, & Denissen, 2018). Nevertheless, theories of sexual offending often highlight the role of psychopathic traits in the manifestation of deviant sexual interests and behavior and the assessment of psychopathy is recommended when dealing with sexual deviance as an integral part of treatment planning (Laws & O'Donohue, 2008;Stinson, Sales, & Becker, 2008).…”