Psychopathy and Internalizing Psychopathology: A Triarchic Model Perspective.

Methodological and conceptual differences across studies have impeded our understanding of the relationship between psychopathy and internalizing psychopathology. To shed further light on this question, we undertook correlational and structural-modeling analyses of data from two samples to characterize how facets of psychopathy relate to internalizing psychopathology when assessed using multidimensional measures of each construct (i.e., Triarchic Psychopathy Measure, Inventory of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms). Participants for Study 1 were 470 undergraduates and community-dwelling adults who completed these measures in self-report form; participants for Study 2 were 301 community-dwelling adults who completed informant-rating versions of these measures (as applied to a known-other). Across samples, analyses revealed sharply contrasting associations for the three triarchic-model facets with internalizing psychopathology and its subdomains, with boldness relating negatively in most cases, disinhibition relating positively in most cases, and meanness exhibiting mostly null associations. Results provide a nuanced picture of associations between psychopathic symptomatology and internalizing problems.

Exploring the differential associations between components of executive functioning and reactive and proactive aggression.

OBJECTIVE: A large body of literature confirms the importance of executive functioning (EF) in the explanation of aggressive and antisocial behaviors. However, the common and specific associations between subtypes of aggression, such as reactive (RA), proactive aggression (PA), and EF are unclear. The current study explored the nuanced associations between components of EF and subtypes of aggression, using a latent variable approach. METHOD: Participants were 384 racially diverse undergraduate students (ages 18-52 years) who completed a self-report measure of RA and PA, and traditional neuropsychological tasks of EF. The appropriateness of using a nested bifactor model of EF was confirmed, and this bifactor model of EF was then used to examine the specific associations between components of EF and RA and PA. RESULTS: Results revealed that components of EF are differentially associated with RA and PA. Specifically, impulsive, provoked aggression (i.e., RA) was associated with lower levels of goal-oriented inhibition and higher levels of flexibility, whereas planned, goal-oriented aggression (i.e., PA) was associated with higher levels of working memory. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from the current study underscore the importance of considering the multidimensional nature of EF, as well as the heterogeneity within aggression, rather than considering either construct as a single monolithic construct. The current study suggests that potentially unique brain-based pathways from aspects of EF to subtypes of aggression may exist, and points toward potential avenues through which to intervene.

A Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) Model of Triarchic Psychopathy Constructs: Development and Initial Validation.

The current work sought to operationalize constructs of the triarchic model of psychopathy in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), a species well-suited for investigations of basic biobehavioral dispositions relevant to psychopathology. Across three studies, we generated validity evidence for scale measures of the triarchic model constructs in a large sample (N=238) of socially-housed chimpanzees. Using a consensus-based rating approach, we first identified candidate items for the chimpanzee triarchic (CHMP-Tri) scales from an existing primate personality instrument and refined these into scales. In Study 2, we collected data for these scales from human informants (N=301), and examined their convergent and divergent relations with scales from another triarchic inventory developed for human use. In Study 3, we undertook validation work examining associations between CHMP-Tri scales and task measures of approach-avoidance behavior (N=73) and ability to delay gratification (N=55). Current findings provide support for a chimpanzee model of core dispositions relevant to psychopathy and other forms of psychopathology.

Parsing the heterogeneity of psychopathy and aggression: Differential associations across dimensions and gender.

Psychopathy is a multidimensional construct that is broadly associated with both reactive (RA) and proactive (PA) aggression. Nevertheless, a consistent pattern of associations between psychopathy and these 2 aggression subtypes has yet to emerge because of methodological differences across studies. Moreover, research has yet to examine gender differences in the relation between dimensions of psychopathy and RA/PA. Accordingly, we examined the associations between psychopathy dimensions, as operationalized by 2 self-report instruments, and subtypes of aggression within a diverse sample of undergraduates (N = 1,158). Results confirmed that psychopathy is broadly associated with PA, as well as RA, with dimensions of psychopathy evidencing common and distinct associations with both raw and residual RA and PA scores. In both models of psychopathy, PA was significantly and positively associated with all dimensions, whereas RA was significantly negatively associated with interpersonal and affective dimensions, and significantly positively associated with dimensions related to an antisocial and impulsive lifestyle. Gender significantly moderated associations among dimensions of psychopathy and RA/PA, such that the antisocial/behavioral dimension of psychopathy was positively associated with PA for males, whereas the antisocial/behavioral dimension was positively associated with RA for females. Results suggest both generality and specificity of psychopathy dimensions as related to subtypes of aggression, as well as possible differential pathways from psychopathy to different subtypes of aggression in men and women.

The Contribution of Personality and Refugee Camp Experience to Callous and Unemotional Traits Among Immigrant Adolescents in the United States: Implications for the DSM-5 "Limited Prosocial Emotions" Specifier.

Callous and Unemotional (C&U) traits characterize a group of adolescents who engage and persist in especially severe antisocial behaviors. These traits have been included in DSM-5 within a "Limited Prosocial Emotions" (LPE) specifier for Conduct Disorder. To investigate the generalizability of this specifier to non-Western cultures, we examined associations among Big Five personality, refugee camp experience, and C&U traits among 81 immigrant adolescents from non-Western cultures. Adolescents with refugee camp history endorsed higher levels of Uncaring than other adolescents. Personality traits explained 6 (Unemotional) to 18 % (Callousness) of the variance in C&U traits. The association between Neuroticism and Callousness held only for adolescents with a refugee camp history. Our results corroborate the importance of considering personality to understand C&U traits and the LPE specifier. Results also raise questions regarding the applicability of C&U traits to non-Western adolescents with varying pre-immigration experiences, and raise the possibility that the LPE specifier is vulnerable to false-positive identifications among such individuals.

Self-reported psychopathy in the Middle East: a cross-national comparison across Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United States.

BACKGROUND: The construct of psychopathy is sparsely researched in the non-Western world, particularly in the Middle East. As such, the extent to which the psychopathy construct can be generalized to other cultures, including Middle Eastern Arab cultures, is largely unknown. METHODS: The present study investigated the cross-cultural/national comparability of self-reported psychopathy in the United States (N = 786), Egypt (N = 296), and Saudi Arabia (N = 341). RESULTS: A widely used psychopathy questionnaire demonstrated largely similar properties across the American and Middle Eastern samples and associations between Five Factor Model (FFM) personality and psychopathy were broadly consistent. Nevertheless, several notable cross-cultural differences emerged, particularly with regard to the internal consistencies of psychopathy dimensions and the correlates of Coldheartedness. Additionally, in contrast to most findings in Western cultures, associations between psychopathy and FFM personality varied consistently by gender in the Egyptian sample. CONCLUSIONS: These findings lend preliminary support to the construct validity of self-reported psychopathy in Arabic-speaking cultures, providing provisional evidence for the cross-cultural generalizability of certain core characteristics of psychopathy.

Neuroanatomical correlates of personality in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes): Associations between personality and frontal cortex.

Converging empirical data suggests that a set of largely consistent personality traits exist in both human and nonhuman primates; despite these similarities, almost nothing is known concerning the neurobiological basis of these traits in nonhuman primates. The current study examined associations between chimpanzee personality traits and the grey matter volume and asymmetry of various frontal cortex regions in 107 captive chimpanzees. Chimpanzees rated as higher on Openness and Extraversion had greater bilateral grey matter volumes in the anterior cingulate cortex. Further, chimpanzee rated as higher on Dominance had larger grey volumes in the left anterior cingulate cortex and right Prefrontal Cortex (PFC). Finally, apes rated higher on Reactivity/Unpredictability had higher grey matter volumes in the right mesial PFC. All associations survived after applying False Discovery Rate (FDR) thresholds. Results are discussed in terms of current neuroscientific models of personality which suggest that the frontal cortex, and asymmetries in this region, play an important role in the neurobiological foundation of broad dispositional traits.

Examining the correlates of the coldheartedness factor of the Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised.

Coldheartedness is a subscale of the Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised (PPI-R) that does not load onto either of the PPI-R's two traditional higher order factors (Fearless Dominance [FD] and Self-Centered Impulsivity [SCI]). As a result, it has been omitted from analyses in many studies. However, owing to Coldheartedness's associations with lack of empathy, guilt, and deep-seated social emotions, this subscale may be highly relevant to the construct of psychopathy. In a sample of 1,158 undergraduates, we attempted to clarify Coldheartedness's correlates within the context of a nomological network of psychopathology and personality; in addition, we examined Coldheartedness's contributions to psychopathy above and beyond FD and SCI. Coldheartedness demonstrated negative correlations with the Big Five personality factors, mixed correlations with indices of impulsivity, and largely negative correlations with measures of depression and anxiety. Regressions suggested that Coldheartedness displays substantial overlap with both FD and SCI but also contains psychologically important unique variance. Although the nature of this variance requires clarification, further research and perhaps an expansion of the Coldheartedness subscale may move the field toward a clearer understanding of the construct assessed by this measure.