Proposed Specifiers for Conduct Disorder (PSCD): Further validation of the parent-report version in a nationally representative U.S. sample of 10- to 17-year-olds.

The Proposed Specifiers for Conduct Disorder (PSCD; Salekin & Hare, 2016) is a new self-report and informant measure designed to assess psychopathic characteristic domains along with symptoms of conduct disorder in youth. Previous factor analytic studies on the PSCD have found that the items are accounted for by a four-factor model reflecting grandiose-manipulative, callous-unemotional, daring-impulsive, and conduct disorder (CD) symptoms. The present study examined the factor structure, psychometric properties, and criterion-related validity of the parent-report version of the PSCD (PSCD-P) in a nationally representative U.S. sample of children and adolescents (N = 1,091, Mage = 13.39, SD = 2.20, range age = 10-17; 50.0% boys, 76% White). Confirmatory factor analyses for the full (24-item) and a shortened (13-item) PSCD-P revealed good internal reliability estimates and support for the four-factor model (grandiose-manipulative, callous-unemotional, daring-impulsive, CD). Results also provided evidence for (a) measurement invariance of the PSCD-P items across sex, race/ethnicity, and age of the child; (b) convergent validity with CD/oppositional defiant disorder symptoms and discriminant validity with a measure of neuroticism; and (c) criterion-related validity with respect to prosociality, peer and family functioning, reactive and proactive aggression, delinquency, academic performance, and substance use. The prevalence for psychopathic personality propensity was found to be 2%. We discuss clinical and research implications regarding the use of the parent-report version of the PSCD for school-aged children. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Assessment of psychopathy among justice-involved adult males with low versus average intelligence: Differential links to violent offending.

Psychopathic personality is a multidimensional construct (De Brito et al., 2021) and the dimensions have differential associations with general and violent offending. Impairment in cognitive functioning, particularly intelligence (IQ), is another construct linked to both general and violent offending. However, the evidence is mixed on whether the combination of elevated psychopathy and low IQ increases the risk for violent offending (Hampton et al., 2014; Heilbrun, 1982; Walsh et al., 2004). Also, before this interaction can be firmly established, assessment of whether psychopathic traits are equivalent among individuals with different levels of IQ, especially those in the justice system, is needed. Using multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis (MG-CFA), this study of justice-involved adult males tested whether Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R; Hare, 2003) item parameters were invariant among those with low (< 85) versus average IQ (≥ 85). In addition, moderated nonlinear factor analysis was conducted using continuous IQ scores to test for its effect on a range of model parameters. Both approaches provided evidence of measurement invariance. Adding criminal offenses to the MG-CFA revealed differential associations of the psychopathy dimensions with violent offending. Finally, analysis of variance results suggested an interaction between psychopathy status and IQ level-that is, those meeting diagnostic criterion for psychopathy with low IQ had the highest number of violent offenses. This study provides evidence of measurement invariance for the PCL-R among justice-involved persons with varying levels IQ and helps to extend research on the dynamic associations between psychopathy, IQ, and violent behavior. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Proposed Specifiers for Conduct Disorder (PSCD) scale: A Latent Profile Analysis with At-Risk Adolescents.

The Proposed Specifiers for Conduct Disorder (PSCD; Salekin in Pers Disord: Theory Res Treat 7:180-191, 2016) scale was designed to assess interrelated psychopathic trait domains in conjunction with symptoms of Conduct Disorder (CD) in children and adolescents (i.e., grandiose-manipulative, callous-unemotional, daring-impulsive). Variable-centered studies have provided support for a four-factor PSCD structure (Salekin et al. in Psychol Assess 34(10):985-992, 2022) in line with other adolescent and adult studies. The current person-centered study used latent profile analysis of the PSCD domains to examine whether theoretically meaningful and empirically robust PSCD subtypes emerged from a diverse sample (70.9% White, 20.1% Black, 3.6% Hispanic, and 5.4% other) of adolescents (modal age = 17) in a military style residential facility (N = 409; Males = 80.6%). As hypothesized, a four-class solution was best, consistent with adult psychopathy subtyping research (Hare et al. in Handbook of Psychopathy 39-79, 2018; Roy et al. in Pers Disord: Theory Res Treat, in press). The PSCD subtype profiles were uniform across sex and race/ethnicity. Adolescents evincing a psychopathic trait propensity profile (elevated on all four PSCD domains) displayed the greatest number of arrests and higher overall externalizing psychopathology, compared to the other three latent classes, as well as higher internalizing psychopathology compared to adolescents with general delinquency. The PSCD provides a sound measure of psychopathic trait propensities in youth and our results offer investigators and clinicians a means for understanding person-centered psychopathic traits versus antisocial profiles among at-risk adolescents. Taken together, the current results may offer a viable approach for examining specific treatment targets based on PSCD subtype profiles.

Automated patterns of head dynamics are associated with psychopathic traits in incarcerated women.

Men with elevated psychopathic traits have been characterized by unique patterns of nonverbal communication, including more fixed and focused head positions during clinical interviews, compared to men scoring low on measures of psychopathy. However, it is unclear whether similar patterns of head dynamics help characterize women scoring high on psychopathic traits. Here, we utilized an automated detection algorithm to assess head position and dynamics during a videotaped clinical interview (i.e., the Psychopathy Checklist - Revised [PCL-R]) in a sample of n = 213 incarcerated women. PCL-R Total, Factor 1 (i.e., interpersonal and affective psychopathic traits), and Factor 2 (i.e., lifestyle/behavioral and antisocial/developmental psychopathic traits) scores were associated with a pattern of head dynamics indicative of a rigid head position. The current study extends analyses of nonverbal behavior studies in men to women and highlights how individuals with elevated psychopathic traits demonstrate unique nonverbal behaviors relative to individuals who score low on psychopathic traits. The implications and clinical value of these findings are discussed.

Psychometric properties of the Trauma Checklist 2.0 and its predictive utility of felony re-offending among high-risk juvenile offenders.

BACKGROUND: Incarcerated youth are characterized by particularly high rates of childhood trauma, a significant risk factor for outcomes including risky behaviors and recidivism. Trauma-based interventions can ameliorate the negative effects of childhood trauma; however, a critical part of success is careful trauma screening. Due to the limitations associated with commonly used self-report trauma assessments, our team developed the Trauma Checklist (TCL), a trained-rater assessment of childhood trauma specifically created for use with forensic populations. The TCL is designed to provide a more comprehensive assessment of trauma, incorporating categories that are of specific relevance for incarcerated individuals (e.g., traumatic loss). Here, we discuss the continued development made to our original trauma assessment and explore the psychometric properties of this expanded assessment (herein termed the TCL 2.0). METHOD: We examined relationships between TCL 2.0 scores, measures of psychopathology, and psychopathic traits in a sample of incarcerated male juvenile offenders (n = 237). In addition, we examined whether TCL 2.0 scores were associated with time to felony re-offense via Cox proportional-hazard regression analyses. RESULTS: We examined dimensionality of the TCL 2.0 using a principal component analysis (PCA), the results of which were confirmed via exploratory structural equation modeling; the PCA yielded a two-component solution (i.e., PC1 and PC2). We observed that PC1 (Experienced Trauma) scores were positively correlated with mood disorder diagnoses. TCL 2.0 total scores were positively correlated with post-traumatic stress disorder symptomatology and psychopathic traits. Finally, higher PC2 (Community Trauma) scores were associated with faster time to felony re-offending. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the TCL 2.0 may be a beneficial screening tool to provide high-risk youth with appropriate trauma-informed treatment.

Validating latent profiles of the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised with a large sample of incarcerated men.

There is a long tradition of theory and research on putative variants of psychopathic and other antisocial clinical presentations. However, using different samples, psychopathy measures, terminologies, and analytic methods makes interpretation of the findings difficult. Emerging research suggests that the validated four-factor model of the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) provides a consistent and empirically robust framework for identifying psychopathic variants and antisocial subtypes (Hare et al., 2018; Neumann et al., 2016). The current study employed latent profile analysis (LPA) of the full range of PCL-R scores in a large sample of incarcerated men (N = 2,570) to replicate and extend recent LPA research on PCL-R-based latent classes. Consistent with previous research, a four-class solution emerged as optimal, with the following antisocial subtypes: Prototypic Psychopathic (C1), Callous-Conning (C2), Externalizing (C3), and General Offender (C4). We validated the subtypes by examining their differential associations with theoretically meaningful external correlates: Child conduct disorder symptoms; adult nonviolent and violent offenses; Self-Report Psychopathy; Psychopathic Personality Inventory; Symptom Checklist-90 Revised; and behavioral activation system and behavioral inhibition system scores. The discussion focused on conceptions of the PCL-R-based subgroups and their potential application to risk assessment and treatment/management programs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Elucidating the role of negative parenting in the genetic v. environmental influences on adult psychopathic traits.

BACKGROUND: Psychopathic traits involve interpersonal manipulation, callous affect, erratic lifestyle, and antisocial behavior. Though adult psychopathic traits emerge from both genetic and environmental risk, no studies have examined etiologic associations between adult psychopathic traits and experiences of parenting in childhood, or the extent to which parenting practices may impact the heritability of adult psychopathic traits using a genetically-informed design. METHODS: In total, 1842 adult twins from the community reported their current psychopathic traits and experiences of negative parenting during childhood. We fit bivariate genetic models to the data, decomposing the variance within, and the covariance between, psychopathic traits and perceived negative parenting into their genetic and environmental components. We then fit a genotype × environment interaction model to evaluate whether negative parenting moderated the etiology of psychopathic traits. RESULTS: Psychopathic traits were moderately heritable with substantial non-shared environmental influences. There were significant associations between perceived negative parenting and three of four psychopathy facets (interpersonal manipulation, erratic lifestyle, antisocial tendencies, but not callous affect). These associations were attributable to a common non-shared environmental pathway and not to overlapping genetic effects. Additionally, we found that primarily shared environmental influences were stronger on psychopathic traits for individuals with a history of greater negative parenting. CONCLUSIONS: Utilizing a genetically-informed design, we found that both genetic and non-shared environmental factors contribute to the emergence of psychopathic traits. Moreover, perceptions of negative parenting emerged as a clear environmental influence on the development of interpersonal, lifestyle, and antisocial features of psychopathy.

Traumatic Brain Injury and Psychopathic Traits in Justice-Involved Adult Women.

Studies have documented associations between traumatic brain injury (TBI) and mental disorders. The relationship between psychopathic personality and TBI remains poorly understood, though both are associated with similar characteristics (e.g., low empathy, aggression, disturbances in social/moral behavior). Yet, it is not clear whether assessment of psychopathic features is influenced by presence versus absence of TBI, and which aspects of TBI may be associated with psychopathic traits. This study examined the psychopathy-TBI association in justice-involved women (N = 341) with structural equation modeling. We tested if measurement invariance of psychopathic traits was evident among those with versus without TBI and which TBI variables (number, severity, age at first TBI) predicted psychopathic features in conjunction with symptoms of psychopathology, IQ, and age. Results provided evidence of measurement invariance, and more women with TBI, compared to those without, met criteria for psychopathy. Younger age of TBI and TBI severity predicted interpersonal-affective psychopathic features.

Assessing the validity of self-report of psychopathy short-form (SRP-SF) in incarcerated offenders from Chile and Uruguay.

Psychopathy remains a relatively unexplored concept in Latin America. The abbreviated Self-Report Psychopathy Scale (SRP-SF) seems promising in this under-resourced context. However, the SRP-SF should be tested for measurement invariance to achieve meaningful comparison across countries in Latin America. Therefore the aims of this study were to examine the underlying factor structure of the SRP-SF in incarcerated adult male offenders from Uruguay (n = 331) and Chile (n = 208), to examine the measurement invariance of the SRP-SF across countries, and to assess the utility of SRP-SF to classify first time offenders from offenders with criminal history. Findings showed a good fit for the four-factor model in Uruguay, and both Chile and Uruguay showed invariance. Conversely, the Interpersonal and Affective factors were not associated with criminal history in the Uruguayan sample. Therefore, more studies are needed before using the SRP-SF as screening tool to classify first-time offenders and reoffenders in different countries in Latin America.

Proposed Specifiers for Conduct Disorder (PSCD): Factor structure and psychometric properties in a residential school facility.

The Proposed Specifiers for Conduct Disorder scale (PSCD; Salekin & Hare, 2016) is a new scale for the assessment of psychopathic characteristic domains in children and adolescents. The four domains are Grandiose-manipulative (GM), Callous-unemotional (CU), Daring-impulsive (DI), and Conduct Disorder (CD). We examined the properties of the self-report version of the PSCD in a large sample of adolescents (n = 409; age = 16-19; 80.6% male) in a military-style residential facility. Factor analytic results supported a four-factor model consistent with other PSCD research (e.g., López-Romero et al., 2019; Luo et al., 2021). Structural equation model (SEM) indicated a superordinate PSCD factor accounted for significant variance in self-reported delinquency history. The PSCD had good internal consistency and strong convergent and discriminant validity with measures of externalizing and internalizing disorders. The present study provides encouraging data that the PSCD may provide a sound measure of psychopathic propensities in youth. However, additional data are needed to test the stability of the PSCD. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Examining the Short Dark Tetrad (SD4) Across Models, Correlates, and Gender.

To date, no studies have examined a range of structural models of the interpersonally aversive traits tapped by the Short Dark Tetrad (SD4; narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, sadism), in conjunction with their measurement invariance (males vs. females) and how the models each predict external correlates. Using a large sample of young adults (N = 3,975), four latent variable models were compared in terms of fit, measurement invariance, and prediction of intrapersonal and interpersonal functioning. The models tested were as follows: (Model A) confirmatory factor analytic, (Model B) bifactor, (Model C) exploratory structural equation model, and (Model D) a reduced-item confirmatory factor analytic that maximized item information. All models accounted for item covariance with good precision, although differed in incremental fit. Strong invariance held for all models, and each accounted similarly for the external correlates, highlighting differential predictive effects of the SD4 factors. The results provide support for four theoretically distinct but overlapping dark personality domains.

Are you laughing with me or at me? Psychopathic traits and the ability to distinguish between affiliation and dominance laughter cues.

OBJECTIVE: Laughter conveys important information that supports social communication and bonding. Research suggests that unique acoustic properties distinguish laughter that promotes affiliation from laughter that conveys dominance, but little is known about potential individual differences in laughter interpretation or contagion based on these specified social functions of laughter. Psychopathy is associated with both affiliative deficits (e.g., lack of empathy and impaired social bonding) and behaviors that assert social dominance (e.g., manipulativeness). Thus, relationships between psychopathic traits and impaired laughter interpretation or contagion could give insight into etiological pathways to psychopathy. METHOD: In two studies conducted with four independent samples (total N = 770), participants categorized laughter clips that varied in the degree of affiliation or dominance conveyed. RESULTS: Participants overall drew rich and accurate social inferences from dominant and affiliative laughter and modulated their interest in joining in with laughter based on the type and degree of affiliation and dominance conveyed. However, individuals higher in psychopathic traits failed to distinguish between laughter types and did not modulate their level of engagement based on laughter features. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest a potential mechanism that underlies the broader social difficulties associated with psychopathic traits.

Rational, emotional, or both? Subcomponents of psychopathy predict opposing moral decisions.

Recent research has documented a small but significant correlation between psychopathic capacities and utilitarian moral judgment, although the findings are generally inconsistent and unclear. We propose that one way to make sense of mixed findings is to consider variation in perspective-taking capacities of psychopathic individuals. With this in mind, we had criminal offenders (n = 60), who varied in their psychopathy levels according to the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R), respond to common sacrificial moral dilemmas (e.g., trolley dilemmas) under different conditions. In a baseline condition, participants simply responded to the sacrificial moral dilemmas as is typically done in previous research. In an "emotion-salient" condition, participants had to reason about the emotions of another person after solving moral dilemmas (deliberative processing). In the "emotion-ambiguous" condition, participants saw images of people in distress, after solving moral dilemmas, but did not have to explicitly reason about such emotions (spontaneous processing). The four PCL-R facets predicted distinct interference effects depending on spontaneous versus deliberative processing of hypothetical victim's emotions. The findings suggest that the use of a multi-faceted approach to account for cognitive and moral correlates of psychopathy may help address previously mixed results. Implications and future directions for theory and research are discussed.

Associations of the MAOA uVNTR genotype and 5-HTTLPR/rs25531 haplotype with psychopathic traits.

Previous studies have linked polymorphisms of the monoamine oxidase A (MAOA uVNTR) and serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) to individual differences in the expression of psychopathic traits, but findings remain inconsistent. One possible reason is that these studies have treated psychopathy as a unitary construct when there is accumulating evidence that there are variants or subtypes. We used a variable-centered and a person-centered approach by (a) examining putative genetic correlates of psychopathy across individuals and (b) comparing the frequencies of the MAOA uVNTR genotype and 5-HTTLPR/rs25531 haplotype between empirically derived subtypes of psychopathy, respectively. Notably, we included the often neglected rs25531 polymorphism, which is closely connected to the 5-HTTLPR. Based on data from male offenders and community volunteers, structural equation modeling indicated that the 5-HTTLPR/rs25531 haplotype was specifically associated with interpersonal deficits beyond the overarching psychopathy construct. Latent profile analysis revealed four clusters that were labeled non-psychopaths, sociopaths, callous-conning, and psychopaths. The low-activity variant of the 5-HTTLPR/rs25531 haplotype was significantly more frequent in the callous-conning compared to the non-psychopathic subtype. There were no effects for the MAOA uVNTR. The results illustrate that psychopathy should not be treated as a unitary construct but that there are variants with specific profiles of psychopathic traits, and that the 5-HTTLPR/rs25531 haplotype plays a role in the manifestation of interpersonal deficits from a variable-centered as well as from a person-centered view.

Triarchic or septarchic?-Uncovering the Triarchic Psychopathy Measure's (TriPM) structure.

The Triarchic Psychopathy Measure (TriPM) is based on a 3-dimensional conceptual model, though few studies have directly tested a 3-factor structure. The current study used a large community sample (N = 1,064, 53% males, Mage = 34) to test the structure of the TriPM via exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, along with 4 community replication samples from North American and Europe (Ns = 511-603, 33-49% males) and 1 European male offender sample (N = 150). Three of these samples were also used to model the correlations between relevant external correlates and the original TriPM factors versus emergent factors to examine the cost of misspecifying TriPM structure. The model analyses did not support a 3-factor model (comparative fit index = .76, root mean square error of approximation = .08), revealing a number of items with limited statistical information, but uncovered a 7-factor structure (comparative fit index = .92, root mean square error of approximation = .04). From the majority of Boldness, Meanness, and Disinhibition scale items, respectively, emerged 3 factors reflecting Positive Self-Image, Leadership, and Stress Immunity; 2 factors tapping Callousness and Enjoy Hurting; and 2 factors involving Trait Impulsivity and Overt Antisociality. Further, the Enjoy Hurting and Overt Antisociality factors were more strongly correlated with one another than with the other scales from their home domains (Callousness and Impulsivity). All 7 emergent factors were differentially associated with the external correlates, suggesting that the 3 original TriPM factors do not optimally represent the conceptual model underlying the TriPM. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Factor Structure and Construct Validity of the Proposed Specifiers for Conduct Disorder (PSCD) Scale in Chinese Adolescents.

The Proposed Specifiers for Conduct Disorder (PSCD) Scale is a new measure to assess psychopathic traits and symptoms of conduct disorder (CD) in children and adolescents. The current study examined the psychometric properties of the self-report version of the PSCD in a sample of community adolescents in mainland China (N = 1,683; mean age = 13.60, SD = 1.14; 54.1% boys). The new instrument showed good internal consistency (alpha) for the 24-item total scale and good mean interitem correlations for each of the six-item subscales. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) were conducted on all 24 items, and also a subset of 13 items that demonstrated strong item-level reliabilities. Using all 24 items, CFA results supported a four-factor bifactor model indicating the total score reflects a broad syndrome with four factors. The four factors included grandiose-manipulative traits (GM traits), callous-unemotional traits (CU traits), daring-impulsive traits (DI traits), and CD traits. The 13-item CFA results provided further support for a four-factor conceptualization of the PSCD and evidence of strong measurement invariance across gender. Finally, the PSCD exhibited the expected relations with other psychopathy measures, anxiety and depression, and aggression, supporting the PSCD scores convergent, discriminant, and criterion related validity. The findings provide preliminary evidence for the four-factor structure of the PSCD and support for the utility of the self-report PSCD for measuring psychopathic traits and CD in Chinese adolescents.

Reduced sensitivity to affiliation and psychopathic traits.

Psychopathy is characterized by affective and interpersonal deficits, deviant lifestyle, and antisocial behaviors. Much research has been dedicated to understanding the impairments in reinforcement learning, fear conditioning, and sensitivity to threat, distress, or fear in others, which are thought to underpin psychopathic traits. Fewer studies have examined deficits in affiliative processes, which could provide insight into mechanisms giving rise to the impairments in social bonding, closeness with others, and cooperation that also characterize individuals high on psychopathy. The current study examined whether reduced sensitivity to affiliation was related to psychopathic traits among 407 adults from the community (female, 59%). Sensitivity to affiliation was modeled as a latent construct capturing item-level variance shared across 4 measures that assessed sensitivity to emotional and physical cues of affiliation, including stimuli presented as videos or images, and via self-report ratings about sensitivity to positive affiliative and affective cues. Results indicated that lower sensitivity to affiliation was related to higher total psychopathy scores. In particular, in models parsing the overlap of psychopathy factor and facet scores, lower sensitivity to affiliation was uniquely related to higher Factor 1 and affective facet scores, as well as higher scores on a measure of callous-unemotional traits. Our findings provide support for the existence of important socioaffiliative and motivational deficits that may underpin the affective features of psychopathy and speak to the potential to target such mechanisms in interventions and treatments to reduce psychopathic traits. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

The perils of untested assumptions in theory testing: A reply to Patrick et al. (2020).

We respond to a critique by Patrick et al. (2020) of our recent study (Roy et al., 2020) that raised questions regarding the three-factor model of the Triarchic Psychopathy Measure (TriPM). Roy et al. demonstrated that a replicable model involving seven unidimensional factors accounted for the TriPM items across North American and European general population samples, as well as European male offenders. Despite having access to large TriPM datasets, the Patrick et al. critique relied on tangential analyses of general personality traits, using a single college sample with TriPM data as supplemental. Thus, Patrick et al. ignored findings highlighting multidimensional TriPM scales and the uncertainty they introduce with respect to the larger nomological network of psychopathy. In our reply, we demonstrate additional problems with the three-factor TriPM model and show that the seven-factor model out-performs the three-factor model in predicting correlates of psychopathy. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Psychopathy and Aggression: The Role of Emotion Dysregulation.

The importance of psychopathy in the forensic and criminal justice domains is largely due to its robust associations with aggression and violent behavior. Hence, investigators have increasingly been interested in elucidating potential mechanisms linking psychopathy and aggression. Recent research highlighted previously overlooked associations between psychopathy and difficulties in emotion regulation, the process responsible for monitoring, evaluating, and managing one's emotional experience, as well as for guiding behavior under intense emotional arousal. Yet, it remains unclear whether emotion dysregulation may be helpful to explain well-documented associations between psychopathy and aggression. The present study examined whether emotion dysregulation mediated associations (i.e., explained a significant portion of the shared variance) between psychopathy and aggression across community (N = 521) and offender (N = 268) samples. Participants completed self-report measures of psychopathy, emotion dysregulation, trait aggressiveness (i.e., anger, hostility, physical and verbal aggression), as well as reactive and proactive aggression. Across both samples, psychopathy had significant indirect effect on all indices of aggression through emotion dysregulation, with the exception of verbal aggression. These findings support the relevance of emotion regulation for the construct of psychopathy and its maladaptive correlates and highlight the potential relevance of focusing on emotion regulation as a possible target for interventions aimed at reducing aggression among individuals with psychopathic traits.

Structural equation modeling of the associations between amygdala activation, personality, and internalizing, externalizing symptoms of psychopathology.

There is an expanding literature on the theoretical and empirical connections between personality and psychopathology, and their shared neurobiological correlates. Recent cybernetic theories of personality and psychopathology, as well as affective neuroscience theory, provide grounding for understanding neurobiological-personality-psychopathology (NPP) associations. With the emergence of large sample datasets (e.g., Human Connectome Project) advanced quantitative modeling can be used to rigorously test dynamic statistical representations of NPP connections. Also, research suggests that these connections are influenced by sex, and large samples provide the opportunity to examine how NPP associations might be moderated by sex. The current study used a large sample from the Duke Neurogenetics Study (DNS) to examine how amygdala activation to facial expressions was linked with self-report of personality traits and clinical interviews of internalizing and externalizing symptoms of psychopathology. Structural equation modeling results revealed direct associations of amygdala activation with personality trait expression, as well as indirect associations (though personality) with symptoms of psychopathology. Moreover, the NPP links were moderated by sex. The current results are in line with research that identifies a broader role played by the amygdala in personality and provide potential insights for continued research in personality neuroscience and recent theories on the neurobiology of personality.