Biocognitive Classification of Antisocial Individuals Without Explanatory Reductionism.

Effective and specifically targeted social and therapeutic responses for antisocial personality disorders and psychopathy are scarce. Some authors maintain that this scarcity should be overcome by revising current syndrome-based classifications of these conditions and devising better biocognitive classifications of antisocial individuals. The inspiration for the latter classifications has been embedded in the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) approach. RDoC-type approaches to psychiatric research aim at transforming diagnosis, provide valid measures of disorders, aid clinical practice, and improve health outcomes by integrating the data on the genetic, neural, cognitive, and affective systems underlying psychiatric conditions. In the first part of the article, we discuss the benefits of such approaches compared with the dominant syndrome-based approaches and review recent attempts at building biocognitive classifications of antisocial individuals. Other researchers, however, have objected that biocognitive approaches in psychiatry are committed to an untenable form of explanatory reductionism. Explanatory reductionism is the view that psychological disorders can be exclusively categorized and explained in terms of their biological causes. In the second part of the article, we argue that RDoC-like approaches need not be associated with explanatory reductionism. Moreover, we argue how this is the case for a specific biocognitive approach to classifying antisocial individuals.

Heterogeneity of adaptive features among psychopathy variants.

Psychopathic personality traits can be conceptualized as a complex network of adaptive and maladaptive traits. Although general positive adjustment has been related to primary psychopathy and increased emotional stability, no study focused on the distribution of specific adaptive traits through psychopathy variants. Participants were 2,291 French college students who completed self-report questionnaires. A cluster analysis, based on a 4-factor model of psychopathy (Antagonism, Narcissism, Disinhibition, and Emotional Stability), was performed on a subsample with increased psychopathic traits (n = 378) and yielded 3 distinct groups: a primary psychopathy cluster, a secondary psychopathy cluster, and an emotionally stable-low antagonism cluster. The primary psychopathy cluster displayed the highest scores of Leadership, Logical Thinking, Focus, Management, and Money Smart, whereas the emotionally stable-low antagonism cluster had the highest scores of Composure and Extraversion. Conversely, the secondary psychopathy cluster exhibited reduced adaptive psychopathic traits. These results suggest that adaptive psychopathic traits are inconsistently distributed between psychopathy subtypes. Interaction effects between main factors of psychopathy are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Psychopathic Disorder Subtypes Based on Temperament and Character Differences.

The concept of psychopathy has shifted from people who commit crimes to those with a particular personality and deviant behaviors. Although antisocial personality disorder is associated with psychopathy, it also seems common in individuals with narcissistic personality traits. Psychopathy may be the expression of earlier, persistent patterns of individual characteristics as personality. The psychobiological model of personality can be useful for determining whether the expression of psychopathy differs in accordance with personality dimensions and specific personality disorders. The aim was to compare temperament and character dimensions between individuals with psychopathy with comorbid predominant antisocial or narcissistic personality traits and control subjects and to determine which dimensions distinguish these groups. Control subjects (n = 80) and individuals with psychopathy (n = 80) were assessed using the Psychopathy Checklist-Reviewed, the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis II disorders and the Temperament and Character Inventory-Revised. Reward dependence and Self-Directedness distinguish psychopathic individuals with predominant narcissistic personality traits whereas Novelty Seeking and Self-Transcendence characterize those with antisocial personality traits. Individuals with antisocial or narcissistic psychopathy could be identified by their temperament and character traits. The expression of psychopathy differed in accordance with biologically based, environmentally shaped personality traits.

The Psychology of Shoplifting: Development of a New Typology for Repeated Shoplifting.

Despite the damaging effects of shoplifting on individuals, the current literature offers little guidance for changing shoplifting behavior. One limitation in this area of research has been the failure to use empirically and theoretically sound methodologies to identify individuals' diverse characteristics and motivations. The present study addressed these limitations by developing an empirically and theoretically supported typology of the varied individuals who shoplift. Participants included 202 community individuals who reported repeated shoplifting and provided information about their shoplifting behavior, motivations, mental health, ethical attitudes, personal histories, and life circumstances. Cluster analyses revealed that the sample could be divided into six discrete groups. These clusters comprise a typology of shoplifting, including Loss-Reactive (28% of the sample), Impulsive (20%), Depressed (18%), Hobbyist (18%), Addictive-Compulsive (9%), and Economically Disadvantaged (7%) types. Each type comprises a unique pattern of shoplifting with unique needs. This research establishes a promising foundation for treating the diverse individuals who shoplift.

Identifying Risk Profiles for Antisocial Behavior in a Spanish Sample of Young Offenders.

One of the main purposes of juvenile risk assessment is to distinguish different risk profiles, which may lead to referring youths into specific intervention programs tailored to their specific needs. This study is devoted to identifying main typologies of risk in a sample of 286 Spanish young offenders aged 14 to 22 (M = 17.36; SD = 1.61) years. Participants were classified into different profiles, representing different levels of risk in terms of individual and psychosocial dynamic variables. A three-class (low-, middle-, and high-risk profiles) and a four-class (low-, middle-, high-risk family problems/callous-unemotional (CU) traits, and high-risk impulsive/undercontrolled) solutions were identified. These profiles showed their distinctiveness and meaningfulness in a set of comparisons on antisocial behavior and prior offenses measures. These findings highlight the presence of diverse patterns of risk and suggest that a limited number of specialized interventions may respond to the main needs of most institutionalized youths.

Unique and shared features of narcissistic and antisocial personality disorders: Implications for assessing and modeling externalizing traits.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to determine which, if any, features distinguish antisocial and narcissistic personality disorders (ASPD and NPD), two overlapping externalizing disorders. METHODS: A large sample of outpatients (N = 2,149) completed interview measures assessing personality pathology, other psychopathology, and impairment. The structure of antisocial and narcissistic traits was examined using both exploratory bifactor and traditional exploratory factor analytic approaches, and we examined relations for our emergent factors. RESULTS: Factor analytic results indicated that most narcissistic and antisocial traits were strongly overlapping, although some features emerged as relatively distinct (e.g., arrogance defining NPD). Factors modeling our specific bifactor dimensions showed very weak psychopathology and impairment relations. CONCLUSIONS: The structure of ASPD and NPD traits does not align neatly with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) Section II conceptualizations, Regardless of the factor analytic approach used. Our findings also indicate that specific dimensions defining these PDs show modest predictive power after accounting for a general externalizing dimension.

Psychopathy and Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors Revisited: Results From a Statewide Population of Institutionalized Youth.

Suicide is the leading cause of death for incarcerated youth, and up to half of all juveniles in confinement experience suicidal ideation in addition to other psychopathology, including psychopathic personality features. Unfortunately, limited research has investigated the psychopathy-suicidality link among juvenile delinquents and using newer psychopathy measures. Based upon a statewide population of incarcerated juvenile offenders, we found that psychopathy was a significant risk factor for suicidal ideation and lifetime suicide attempts, but the latter relationship was attenuated by lifetime depression diagnosis. In addition, certain affective psychopathic features such as Stress Immunity conferred protection against suicidality, whereas behavioral and lifestyle components including Carefree Nonplanfulness, Blame Externalization, and Rebellious Nonconformity were positively linked to suicidal thoughts among the youth offenders. As these risk factors are routinely screened for in juvenile justice settings, this study's findings have considerable implications to applied practice and prevention among juvenile justice involved youth.

Differences among dark triad components: A meta-analytic investigation.

Since its emergence 14 years ago the dark triad (DT), composed of narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism, has become an increasingly popular research focus. Yet questions remain over whether the DT components are sufficiently distinct from another. We examined the nomological networks of each DT component through a meta-analysis of the available literature on the DT. We conducted 3 separate analyses-an examination of the average intercorrelations among the DT components (k = 156), an examination of similarities in each DT component's nomological network (k = 159), and an examination of the effect sizes between DT components and 15 outcome categories (k range = 7 to 42). Our results indicate that the nomological networks of psychopathy and Machiavellianism overlap substantially while narcissism demonstrated differential relations compared with psychopathy and Machiavellianism. These results remained relatively constant after controlling for DT assessment approach. We argue that the current literature on Machiavellianism may be better understood as a secondary psychopathy literature. Future directions for DT research are discussed in light of our meta-analytic results. (PsycINFO Database Record

Personality Disorders Are Not as We Thought: Hierarchical Factor Structure at the Criterion Level.

The use of personality disorder (PD) categories persists, despite the evidence against them. An often overlooked reason for this is the fact that the true structure underlying the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) taxonomy is still unknown: We cannot be certain which disorders are valid, and which ones are arbitrary mixtures of heterogeneous traits. To address this gap, we factor analyzed the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire (PDQ-4+; Hyler, 1994 ) at the criterion level in a mixed clinical and nonclinical sample of 2,519 individuals. The resulting structure was more similar to current dimensional taxonomies than to the DSM classification at all hierarchical levels. Whereas paranoid and antisocial PDs-and to a lesser extent avoidant, dependent, depressive, and schizoid PDs-were fairly homogeneous, all other disorders turned out to be combinations of 2 or 3 unrelated dimensions. Our results strongly support the structure of empirically based dimensional taxonomies and relocate DSM criteria within this emerging framework, thus contributing to preserving much of the knowledge accumulated to date.

Psychometric properties of the Triarchic Psychopathy Measure: An item response theory approach.

There is cumulative evidence for the cross-cultural validity of the Triarchic Psychopathy Measure (TriPM; Patrick, 2010) among non-Western populations. Recent studies using correlational and regression analyses show promising construct validity of the TriPM in Chinese samples. However, little is known about the efficiency of items in TriPM in assessing the proposed latent traits. The current study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Chinese TriPM at the item level using item response theory analyses. It also examined the measurement invariance of the TriPM between the Chinese and the U.S. student samples by applying differential item functioning analyses under the item response theory framework. The results supported the unidimensional nature of the Disinhibition and Meanness scales. Both scales had a greater level of precision in the respective underlying constructs at the positive ends. The two scales, however, had several items that were weakly associated with their respective latent traits in the Chinese student sample. Boldness, on the other hand, was found to be multidimensional, and reflected a more normally distributed range of variation. The examination of measurement bias via differential item functioning analyses revealed that a number of items of the TriPM were not equivalent across the Chinese and the U.S. SAMPLES: Some modification and adaptation of items might be considered for improving the precision of the TriPM for Chinese participants. (PsycINFO Database Record

Variants of Psychopathy and the Dependence on Gender, Age, and Ethnic Background.

The current study examines variants of psychopathy in a community sample of Dutch adolescents (N = 2,855, 57% male) using three dimensions of psychopathy and trait anxiety. Five subgroups were identified, two with high levels of psychopathic traits. The first seemed consistent with primary psychopathy, high on all dimensions, with additional low levels of anxiety, whereas the second showed elevated levels of anxiety, consistent with secondary psychopathy. Two variants low on psychopathic traits were identified: a low-risk variant and an anxious variant. Further, a moderaterisk group was found, with slightly above average psychopathy traits and average levels of mental health problems. The secondary psychopathy and the anxious variant reported the most problem behaviors. Boys, younger adolescents, and non-Western immigrant youth were overrepresented in the secondary group. These findings show that in a community sample psychopathy is a heterogeneous phenomenon.

Two subtypes of psychopathic criminals differ in negative affect and history of childhood abuse.

OBJECTIVE: Specification of the etiological mechanisms underlying psychopathy is a key step in developing more effective methods for preventing and remediating the callous and impulsive behavior that characterizes the disorder. Theoretical conceptualizations of psychopathic subtypes propose that a primary variant largely stems from impoverished affect, whereas a secondary variant is hypothesized to develop subsequent to adverse environmental experiences (e.g., childhood maltreatment). However, there has been a dearth of research demonstrating that psychopathic subtypes actually differ in terms of experienced childhood maltreatment in an adult offender population. METHOD: The current study employed model-based cluster analysis (MBCA) in a sample of incarcerated, psychopathic males (n = 110) to identify subtypes of psychopathic offenders based on a broad personality assessment. RESULTS: Two subgroups emerged: 1 with high levels of negative affect (high-NA) and 1 with low levels of negative affect (low-NA). The high-NA subgroup scored significantly higher on measures of childhood maltreatment. CONCLUSION: These results provide support for theoretical conceptualizations of psychopathic subtypes, suggesting that psychopathic offenders with high levels of negative affect experience a greater degree of childhood maltreatment. (PsycINFO Database Record

[Doctrine of psychopathy typology: E. Kretschmer's concept of 'key experience' and inherited defect]. / Uchenie o tipologii psikhopatii: kontseptsiia É. Krechmera 'kliuchevogo perezhivaniia' i vrozhdennogo defekta.

The author analyzes the first concept of E. Kretschmer which preceded his famous concept of cycloid and schizoid temperaments: specific 'root' or 'key' experience characteristic of the personality type. This concept was built on the clinical data of patients with delusions but E. Kretschmer assumed that the difference in the degree of disease was not essential ('neurosis of reference' and 'sensitive delusion of reference' were more close than 'sensitive delusion of reference' and 'expansive delusion'). For a sensitive psychopath, the key and specific experience is 'shameful defeat', for expansive psychopath - 'the violence over will by the common will'. Explanations of the phenomenon of psychopathic personalities made by E. Kraepelin and E. Kretschmer are compared as well as the relationship of psychopathic types determined by E. Kretschmer to 'the general psychopathic constitution'.

Integrating Alternative Conceptions of Psychopathic Personality: A Latent Variable Model of Triarchic Psychopathy Constructs.

This study undertook confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) of data from 567 participants to quantify constructs specified by the triarchic model of psychopathy (Patrick, Fowles, & Krueger, 2009)-boldness, meanness, and disinhibition-as latent variables. Indicators for the CFAs consisted of subscales of the Triarchic Psychopathy Measure along with triarchic scales derived from items of the Psychopathic Personality Inventory, Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory, and Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire. A modified three-factor model provided good fit to the data and outperformed alternative two- and one-factor models. Multiple-group CFAs demonstrated gender differences (male > female) in factor means and covariances, but not in factor loadings or intercepts. These findings support the idea that the triarchic model dimensions are embedded in differing models and measures of psychopathy and comprise essential building blocks for this clinical condition. Implications for understanding the structure of psychopathy, gender differences in psychopathic traits, and applications of latent variable modeling in future research are discussed.

Psychopathic Personality in the General Population: Differences and Similarities Across Gender.

This study aimed to identify distinct subgroups of adults in a general population sample (N = 2,500; 52.6% females) based on their scores on three psychopathy dimensions. Using latent profile analysis, five groups were identified among males and females separately, including a psychopathic personality group. Multivariate analyses of variance showed that this latter group had higher levels of aggression, offending, substance use, attention-deficit/hyperactivity symptoms, internalizing problems, and maltreatment than most of the other groups. Associated features of males and females with a psychopathic personality were very similar; however, salient gender differences did emerge. Specifically, females with a psychopathic personality were more frequently exposed to sexual abuse, expressed more emotional difficulties, and engaged in higher levels of relational aggression. In conclusion, person-oriented analyses identified adults with a personality that looks like psychopathy, and furthered our understanding of gender similarities and differences in these adults.

Validity of the Self-Report Psychopathy Scales (SRP-III Full and Short Versions) in a Community Sample.

The psychometric properties of the 64-item Self-Report Psychopathy Scale-III (SRP-III) and its abbreviated 28-item SRP-Short Form (SRP-SF) seem promising. Still, cross-cultural evidence for its construct validity in heterogeneous community samples remains relatively scarce. Moreover, little is known about the interchangeability of both instruments. The present study addresses these research gaps by comparing the SRP-III and SRP-SF factorial construct validity and nomological network in a Belgian community sample. The four-factor model of psychopathy was evaluated ( N = 1,510) and the SRP scales' relationship with various external correlates (i.e., attachment, bullying and victimization, right-wing attitudes, right-wing authoritarianism, and response styles) was examined ( n = 210). Both SRP versions demonstrated a good fit for the four-factor model and a considerable overlap with the nomological network of psychopathy. The results suggested that the SRP-SF provides a viable alternative to the SRP-III for assessment in the community. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

[Does the Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory (YPI) identify a clinically relevant subgroup among young offenders?]. / Identifiziert das Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory (YPI) eine klinisch bedeutsame Untergruppe junger Straftäter?

Objective: Does the Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory identify one or more high-risk subgroups among young offenders? Which recommendations for possible courses of action can be derived for individual clinical or forensic cases? Method: Model-based cluster analysis (Raftery, 1995) was conducted on a sample of young offenders (N = 445, age 14­22 years, M = 18.5, SD = 1.65). The resulting model was then tested for differences between clusters with relevant context variables of psychopathy. The variables included measures of intelligence, social competence, drug use, and antisocial behavior. Results: Three clusters were found (Low Trait, Impulsive/Irresponsible, Psychopathy) that differ highly significantly concerning YPI scores and the variables mentioned above. The YPI Scores Δ Low = 4.28 (Low Trait ­ Impulsive/Irresponsible) and Δ High = 6.86 (Impulsive/Irresponsible ­ Psychopathy) were determined to be thresholds between the clusters. Conclusions: The allocation of a person to be assessed within the calculated clusters allows for an orientation of consequent tests beyond the diagnosis of psychopathy. We conclude that the YPI is a valuable instrument for the assessment of young offenders, as it yields clinically and forensically relevant information concerning the cause and expected development of psychopathological behavior.

Psychopathy and Machiavellianism: A Distinction Without a Difference?

A robust literature has emerged on the Dark Triad (DT) of personality-Machiavellianism (MACH), psychopathy, and narcissism. Questions remain as to whether MACH and psychopathy are distinguishable and whether MACH's empirical and theoretical networks are consistent. In Study 1 (N = 393; MTurk research participants), factor analyses were used to compare two-factor (MACH and psychopathy combined + narcissism) and three-factor models, with both fitting the data equally well. In Studies 1 and 2 (N = 341; undergraduate research participants), DT scores were examined in relation to a variety of external criteria, including self- and informant ratings of personality, adverse developmental experiences, and psychopathological symptoms/behaviors. In both studies, MACH and psychopathy manifested nearly identical empirical profiles and both were significantly related to disinhibitory traits thought to be antithetical to MACH. In Study 3 (N = 36; expert raters), expert ratings of the Five-Factor Model traits prototypical of MACH were collected and compared with empirically derived profiles. Measures of MACH yielded profiles that were inconsistent with the prototypical expert-rated profile due to their positive relations with a broad spectrum of impulsivity-related traits. Ultimately, measures of psychopathy and MACH appear to be measuring the same construct, and MACH assessments fail to capture the construct as articulated in theoretical descriptions.

Neuroendocrine factors distinguish juvenile psychopathy variants.

The characteristic pattern of emotional hypo-reactivity observed in primary psychopathy is not evident in secondary psychopathy, which is thought to originate from childhood adversity and co-occurring anxiety. The main aim of this study was to test whether salivary afternoon cortisol, Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), and cortisol-to-DHEA concentrations, which at high levels indicate risk for chronic stress and poor mental health, distinguished secondary from primary variants of callous-unemotional (CU) traits-the affective component of psychopathy. This aim was achieved by first identifying psychopathy variants using latent profile analysis of CU, anxiety, and aggression scores among 232 incarcerated adolescent boys (M age = 16.75). Based on a subset with neuroendocrine data (n = 201), aggressive secondary CU variants had lower afternoon DHEA concentrations and higher cortisol-to-DHEA ratios and comorbid psychopathology compared with all other groups. In contrast, two primary CU variants (aggressive and non-aggressive types) emerged with profiles characterized by low to average psychopathology and high DHEA levels. Findings contribute to a growing literature base suggesting that biomarkers may distinguish youth on separable developmental pathways to psychopathy.