Reliability Generalization of the Triarchic Psychopathy Measure.

The extent to which psychopathy can be reliably assessed via self-report has been debated. One step in informing this debate is examining the internal consistency of self-report psychopathy measures, such as the Triarchic Psychopathy Measure (TriPM; Patrick, 2010). Reliability generalization (RG) studies apply a meta-analytic approach to examine the internal consistency of an instrument in a more robust manner by aggregating internal consistency statistics reported across the published literature. This study conducted an RG analysis to yield the average Cronbach's alpha among published studies (k = 219) that administered the TriPM. Meta-analytic alphas were high for TriPM Total (α = .88) Boldness (α = .81), Meanness (α = .87), and Disinhibition (α = .85). Moderator analyses indicated internal consistency differed minimally as a function of study characteristics, like gender, age, or the nature of the sample (i.e., forensic or community). Subsequent RG analyses were performed for McDonald's omega (k = 40), which yielded comparable internal consistency estimates. The results of this study provide strong evidence that the TriPM measures coherent, internally consistent constructs and thus could be a viable, cost-effective mechanism for measuring psychopathy across a broad range of samples.

Les progrès dans la réalisation de la classification quantitative de la psychopathologie.

Shortcomings of approaches to classifying psychopathology based on expert consensus have given rise to contemporary efforts to classify psychopathology quantitatively. In this paper, we review progress in achieving a quantitative and empirical classification of psychopathology. A substantial empirical literature indicates that psychopathology is generally more dimensional than categorical. When the discreteness versus continuity of psychopathology is treated as a research question, as opposed to being decided as a matter of tradition, the evidence clearly supports the hypothesis of continuity. In addition, a related body of literature shows how psychopathology dimensions can be arranged in a hierarchy, ranging from very broad "spectrum level" dimensions, to specific and narrow clusters of symptoms. In this way, a quantitative approach solves the "problem of comorbidity" by explicitly modeling patterns of co-occurrence among signs and symptoms within a detailed and variegated hierarchy of dimensional concepts with direct clinical utility. Indeed, extensive evidence pertaining to the dimensional and hierarchical structure of psychopathology has led to the formation of the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP) Consortium. This is a group of 70 investigators working together to study empirical classification of psychopathology. In this paper, we describe the aims and current foci of the HiTOP Consortium. These aims pertain to continued research on the empirical organization of psychopathology; the connection between personality and psychopathology; the utility of empirically based psychopathology constructs in both research and the clinic; and the development of novel and comprehensive models and corresponding assessment instruments for psychopathology constructs derived from an empirical approach.

Validation of the Greek Cypriot Translation of the Triarchic Psychopathy Measure.

Psychopathy is conceived of as a pathological constellation of personality traits, manifested in aberrant behavioral, interpersonal, and emotional tendencies. This study examined within a Greek-speaking nonclinical sample (N = 419) associations between differing phenotypic dimensions of psychopathy (boldness, meanness, disinhibition) assessed via the Triarchic Psychopathy Measure (TriPM) and self-report criterion measures of psychopathology, personality, and history of abuse and neglect. Consistent with predictions of the triarchic model of psychopathy, evidence was found for distinct correlates of the 3 phenotypic dimensions. Boldness was associated with both adaptive (immunity to anxiety/distress, fearlessness, low hostility) and maladaptive tendencies (grandiose manipulative traits, Machiavellian features including desire for control/status, and verbal aggression). Meanness was related to callous and unemotional traits, features of Machiavellianism (e.g., amoral manipulation and distrust of others), physical aggression, and absence of positive parenting. Disinhibition, by contrast, was characterized by anxiety and distress, exposure to violence, and retrospective accounts of abuse history, along with impulsive, irresponsible, and hostile tendencies. These findings indicate that the Greek-Cypriot translation of the TriPM effectively assesses the constructs of the triarchic model and extend what we know about their empirical correlates.

Triarchic Model of Psychopathy: Origins, Operationalizations, and Observed Linkages with Personality and General Psychopathology.

The triarchic model (Patrick, Fowles, & Krueger, 2009) was formulated to reconcile contrasting conceptions of psychopathy reflected in historic writings and contemporary assessment instruments, and to address persisting unresolved issues in the field. The model conceives of psychopathy as encompassing three distinct but interrelated phenotypic dispositions--disinhibition, boldness, and meanness--with biological referents. These dispositional constructs can be viewed as building blocks for alternative conceptions of psychopathy, and various existing psychopathy measures are presumed to index these constructs to differing degrees. This article summarizes the bases of the triarchic model in the conceptual and empirical literatures on psychopathy, and it describes linkages between the constructs of the model and established structural frameworks for personality and psychological disorders. Alternative methods for indexing the constructs of the model are described, and evidence regarding their interrelations and criterion-related validity is reviewed. Promising aspects of the model for ongoing research on psychopathy are discussed, along with current gaps in knowledge/methods and recommended avenues for future research.

Elucidating the Construct Validity of the Psychopathic Personality Inventory Triarchic Scales.

This study sought to replicate and extend Hall and colleagues' (2014) work on developing and validating scales from the Psychopathic Personality Inventory (PPI) to index the triarchic psychopathy constructs of boldness, meanness, and disinhibition. This study also extended Hall et al.'s initial findings by including the PPI Revised (PPI-R). A community sample (n = 240) weighted toward subclinical psychopathy traits and a male prison sample (n = 160) were used for this study. Results indicated that PPI-Boldness, PPI-Meanness, and PPI-Disinhibition converged with other psychopathy, personality, and behavioral criteria in ways conceptually expected from the perspective of the triarchic psychopathy model, including showing very strong convergent and discriminant validity with their Triarchic Psychopathy Measure counterparts. These findings further enhance the utility of the PPI and PPI-R in measuring these constructs.

Meanness and affective processing: A meta-analysis of EEG findings on emotional face processing in individuals with psychopathic traits.

BACKGROUND: The triarchic model (Patrick et al., 2009) conceptualizes psychopathy as a multidimensional construct encompassing three biobehavioral dimensions: meanness, boldness, and disinhibition. Meanness entails low empathy, shallow affect, and lack of remorse, and is associated with poor facial emotion recognition; however, the mechanistic processes contributing to these deficits are unclear. Emotional face processing can be examined on a neurophysiological level using event-related potentials (ERPs) such as N170, P200, and LPP. No quantitative review to date has examined the extent to which amplitude of these ERP components may be modulated by psychopathic traits. METHOD: The current study performed random-effects model meta-analyses of nine studies (N = 1131) which examined affective face processing ERPs in individuals with psychopathic traits to provide an overall effect size for the association between meanness, boldness, and disinhibition and N170, P200, and LPP amplitudes across studies. Analyses were also conducted examining potential moderators and publication bias. RESULTS: N170 amplitudes were significantly smaller (r =.18) among individuals high in meanness when processing fearful faces. Significant effects were not found for N170 amplitude when processing angry or happy faces, nor for LPP and P200 amplitudes across stimulus types. Additionally, significant effects were not found for the association between N170 amplitude and other dimensions of psychopathy. Meta-regression analyses indicated the manipulation of facial stimuli was significant in explaining some between-study heterogeneity of the meanness N170-fear model. No evidence of publication bias was found. CONCLUSIONS: Diminished amplitude of the N170 when viewing fear faces appears to be a neurophysiological marker of psychopathic meanness. Deficits in early encoding of faces may account for empathy deficits characteristic of psychopathy.

Latent variable model of triarchic psychopathy constructs in an incarcerated offender sample: Factor reliability and validity.

The triarchic model of psychopathy posits that three distinct trait dispositions-disinhibition, meanness, and boldness-contribute to the interpersonal, affective, and impulsive-unrestrained features of this condition and is represented to varying degrees in all conceptualizations and measures of psychopathy. Using data for incarcerated males (n = 273) and females (n = 83) from 10 different prisons in Italy, we specified a latent variable model of the triarchic trait constructs in which scale measures of disinhibition, meanness, and boldness composed of items from the following inventories served as indicators: Triarchic Psychopathy Measure, Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised, Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 Restructured Form, and NEO Five Factor Inventory. A correlated three-factor solution evidenced adequate model fit, with individual triarchic trait scales loading strongly onto their target factors. The model exhibited comparable fit and factor loadings when specified using data for males only, and its factors showed expected relations with pertinent criterion variables, including measures of normative personality and clinical dysfunction along with staff ratings of prison behavior and release prognosis. Extending prior research with nonclinical participants from the U.S., present study results demonstrate the viability of a latent variable model of the triarchic traits in an incarcerated offender sample from a separate culture (Italy). The significance of this work lies in the potential of the triarchic traits to serve as conceptual-empirical points of reference for integrating findings across studies of psychopathy employing diverse samples and assessment measures. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Assessing general versus specific liability for externalizing problems in adolescence: Concurrent and prospective prediction of symptoms of conduct disorder, ADHD, and substance use.

This study explored the generality versus specificity of two trait-liability factors for externalizing problems-disinhibition and callousness-in the concurrent and prospective prediction of symptoms of conduct disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and substance use (i.e., alcohol use disorder and history of illicit substance use). Disinhibition involves an impulsive, unrestrained cognitive-behavioral style; callousness entails a dispositional lack of social-emotional sensitivity. Participants were European adolescents from the multisite IMAGEN project who completed questionnaires and clinical interviews at ages 14 (N = 1,504, Mage = 14.41, 51.13% female) and 16 (N = 1,407, Mage = 16.46, 51.88% female). Disinhibition was related concurrently and prospectively to greater symptoms of conduct disorder, ADHD, and alcohol use disorder; higher scores on a general externalizing factor; and greater likelihood of having tried an illicit substance. Callousness was selectively related to greater conduct disorder symptoms. These findings indicate disinhibition confers broad liability for externalizing spectrum disorders, perhaps due to its affiliated deficits in executive function. In contrast, callousness appears to represent more specific liability for antagonistic (aggressive/exploitative) forms of externalizing, as exemplified by antisocial behavior. Results support the utility of developmental-ontogenetic and hierarchical-dimensional models of psychopathology and have important implications for early assessment of risk for externalizing problems. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Operationalizing the triarchic model of psychopathy in adolescents using the MMPI-A-RF (Restructured Form).

The triarchic model is an increasingly influential multidimensional model of psychopathy that focuses on three distinct phenotypic domains of boldness, meanness, and disinhibition. Although originally operationalized through the Triarchic Psychopathy Measure (TriPM), the triarchic model has also been operationalized through items of existing psychopathy and personality measures that provide sufficient content coverage of the triarchic dimensions. The current study aimed to provide a means for enhancing understanding of psychopathic features in adolescents through the development and validation of triarchic scales using items from the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-Adolescent-Restructured Form (MMPI-A-RF). The MMPI-A-RF normative sample and a large sample of juveniles undergoing court-ordered evaluations were used for formal scale development and the juvenile-court sample was also used for validation analyses. The MMPI-A-RF triarchic scales demonstrated adequate internal consistency in both the normative and juvenile offender samples, and were largely related to criterion variables, including measures of personality, psychopathology, interpersonal functioning, and adolescent concerns as predicted based on the triarchic model. Canonical correlation analyses revealed unexpected and novel findings of (variable-centered) patterns of associations between our predictor triarchic scales and criterion variables that resemble "primary" and "secondary" psychopathy variants or subtypes. Overall, findings suggest that the triarchic model as indexed by the MMPI-A-RF scales can be useful for understanding how psychopathy may manifest in youth and for identifying youth at risk for severe and persistent antisocial behavior. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Piloting a brief intervention plus mobile boosters for drug use among emerging adults receiving emergency department care.

PURPOSE: There are few efficacious prevention interventions for emerging adults (ages 18-25) drug use and concomitant risks (e.g., sexual risk behaviors). We developed and evaluated the feasibility and acceptability of an Emergency Department (ED)-initiated brief intervention (BI) combined with booster messaging as a clinician-extender primarily focusing on drug use, with a secondary focus on condomless sex. We examined descriptive outcomes of alcohol, drug use, and condomless sex. PROCEDURES: We recruited N = 63 emerging adults who used drugs (primarily cannabis) from an ED (72.4 % participation rate). Their mean age was 21.7 years (SD = 2.3); 67 % were female and 52.4 % were Black/African American. Participants randomized to the intervention (N = 31) received a BI and 28 days of tailored booster messaging (based on drug use motives) daily, and the control condition received a community resource brochure. A post-test occurred at 1-month with a follow-up at 2-months. RESULTS: The intervention was well-received (83.9 % allocated completed the BI) with 79 % overall liking the BI and 71 % finding it helpful to discuss substances. Mean ratings of booster messages were >4.0 (5-point scale); 77 % liked the daily messages and 91 % found them helpful. Descriptively, the intervention group evidenced absolute reductions over time on alcohol outcomes, cannabis use, and condomless sex. CONCLUSIONS: This BI with booster messages was feasible and acceptable in the target population of emerging adults who use drugs (i.e., mostly cannabis). This intervention model, initiated during a healthcare visit and accompanied by a clinician-extender, should be tested in a future fully-powered trial.