Comparing the DSM-5 Dimensional Trait and Triarchic Model Conceptions of Psychopathy: An External Validity Analysis.

In the DSM-5 Alternative Model of Personality Disorders (AMPD), psychopathy is marked by the presence of attention seeking, low anxiousness, and lack of social withdrawal, along with traits from the domains of Antagonism and Disinhibition. The triarchic model of psychopathy (TriPM) posits three biobehaviorally based traits underlying it: disinhibition, meanness, and boldness. The current study directly compared relations for measures of the two models with the broad dimensions of externalizing, internalizing, and positive adjustment. Participants (1,678 adults) were surveyed regarding maladaptive personality traits, clinical symptoms, and positive adjustment features. The TriPM model explained more variance than the AMPD in substance use, positive adjustment, and empathy, whereas the AMPD model explained more variance in internalizing symptoms. In addition, AMPD Antagonism and the Psychopathy Specifier diverged from TriPM Meanness and Boldness in their associations with some specific outcomes. Overall, our study provides evidence for complementarity of the two models in characterizing the multifaceted nature of psychopathy.

Exploring the Nexus: Personality Disorders and Their Impact on Violent Extremism, Radicalism, and Activism.

The escalating global concerns surrounding radicalization and violent extremism necessitate a comprehensive understanding and explanation. Identifying the risk factors associated with radicalism and violent extremism is critical to the development of risk assessment, prevention, and intervention strategies. It is imperative to distinguish these risks from civic responsibilities (i.e., activism) to safeguard individual rights. This study aims to examine the association between well-established risk factors for violence-personality disorder symptoms-and violent extremist attitudes, radicalism, and activism. Findings indicate that antisocial personality disorder symptoms were linked to violent extremist attitudes and radicalism, whereas obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms were related to activism. This suggests that obsessive-compulsive personality disorder may signify a readiness for legal and nonviolent political action; in contrast, antisocial personality disorder symptoms signify a readiness for extremist violence and illegal political action.

Psychopathy and Impairments in Emotion Regulation: A systematic review and Meta-analysis.

Considering the sparse but rapidly growing literature concerning the relationship between psychopathy and emotion regulation, taking stock of accumulating knowledge in a systematic review and meta-analysis of the existing results is needed. We performed a systematic search (up to May 30, 2024) following PRISMA guidelines of five scientific databases (PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science). Also, gray literature was searched. After removing the duplicates, a total of 8.786 records were screened, and 73 articles were selected based on the inclusion criteria used for systematic review. The meta-analytic procedure was performed on 55 identified studies consistent with the criteria adopted, which overall comprised 29.856 individuals. The current systematic and meta-analysis review has clarified the association between impairments of emotional regulation abilities and facets of psychopathy. More specifically, analyses indicated that emotional dysregulation is associated with overall levels of psychopathic traits, as well as with both the lifestyle and affective components of psychopathy, which suggests the utility of assessing these features when designing interventions focused on modulating negative emotional states and enhancing regulation of impulsive behaviors.

A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Mentalization-Based Therapy With the Unified Protocol in the Treatment of Psychopathy and Comorbid Borderline + Antisocial Personality Disorders.

BACKGROUND: Those with cooccurring antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) and borderline personality disorder (BPD) are reported to be highly psychopathic and to represent a severe challenge to treatment efforts. In a sample of such individuals, the effects of two treatments, mentalization-based therapy (MBT) and the unified protocol (UP), were investigated on three outcomes: (i) the psychopathy trait domains of meanness, boldness and disinhibition proposed by the triarchic psychopathy model (TPM); (ii) antisocial and borderline symptom severity; and (iii) the severity of their common features including impulsivity, anger expression and self-harm. METHODS: Of 163 individuals with BPD + ASPD screened for eligibility, 55 were randomized to MBT treatment and 53 to UP treatment. Outcomes of treatment were assessed at 6-month intervals to 36 months. RESULTS: Short-term reductions were seen following both treatments in traits of psychopathy, antisocial and borderline personality symptom severity, anger dysregulation, impulsivity and self-harm, but both treatment groups showed almost complete relapse of symptoms at the 36-month follow-up. UP had more durable effects than MBT. CONCLUSIONS: Despite being a considerably shorter treatment, UP was at least as effective as MBT and in some respects superior. Remission of symptoms was not achieved by either treatment in the long term. Psychopathy and borderline/antisocial comorbidity with which it is associated are to some extent remediable through psychotherapy, but only in the short term. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Patients with high levels of impulsivity and disinhibition are likely to relapse following psychotherapy and should be closely monitored after treatment.

Adolescent Health and Dark Personalities: The Role of Socioeconomic Status, Sports, and Cyber Experiences.

By investigating the impact of dark personality traits on adolescent health, this study explores the interplay among economic disadvantage, spectator sports involvement, and cyber victimization. We analyzed data from 1844 students aged 13-17 in a school district in the USA, and our findings reveal positive associations between economic disadvantage and both Machiavellianism and psychopathy, influencing negative emotions-driven eating. Spectator sports engagement exhibits links with Machiavellianism and narcissism, suggesting potential drawbacks to competitive behaviors. Cyber victimization shows associations with psychopathy and negative emotions-driven eating. The results illuminate the dynamic associations between emotional eating and health outcomes, including BMI and perceived quality of life. These findings deepen our understanding of how dark personality is shaped and subsequently influences adolescents' well-being, offering insights for targeted interventions.

Cognitions in antisocial personality and their association with "dark" traits.

Unlike the cognitions associated with depressive symptoms, little is known about those associated with antisocial personality and with its related traits ("dark traits"). Using the scrambled sentences task, an instrument from depression research, we investigated cognitions such as justifications (external blaming for one's behavior) and harm to others (based on the notion that some of these individuals enjoy harming or humiliating others) that we hypothesized may be prevalent in those high in antisocial personality traits. Confirming our hypothesis, these cognitions were associated with ratings on different antisocial personality scales and with antisocial and detachment scores in the alternative model of personality disorders of the DSM-5 (AMPD) in three non-clinical samples, but not with depressive symptoms or neuroticism. Cognitions including harm to others were differentially associated with high sadism. These findings empirically characterize classes of cognitions that are shared by individuals with antisocial tendencies, and that differ from those associated with depressive symptoms.

Relations among lie-telling self-efficacy, moral disengagement, and willingness to tell antisocial lies among children and adolescents.

This study examined a proposed model of relations among lie-telling self-efficacy, moral disengagement, and willingness to tell antisocial lies among children and adolescents. Children and adolescents aged 6 to 15 years completed measures of lie-telling self-efficacy and moral disengagement. They also read vignettes about a character committing a transgression and telling a lie to conceal the transgression. For each vignette, children and adolescents made a hypothetical decision about telling the truth or a lie if they were in the character's position to assess their lie-telling propensity. Lie-telling self-efficacy was related to willingness to tell lies, and this relationship was mediated by moral disengagement. Children and adolescents with higher lie-telling self-efficacy had higher moral disengagement, and those who had higher moral disengagement were more willing to tell antisocial lies. Overall, results support Bandura's social cognitive theory as a framework for understanding the psychosocial mechanisms underlying attitudes toward lie-telling. Moreover, these findings suggest that interventions to address problematic lie-telling behavior should focus on children's and adolescents' use of moral disengagement mechanisms.

Rearrest is associated with heightened callous-unemotional traits: No moderating effect of maternal relationship quality.

OBJECTIVE: The presence of callous-unemotional (CU) traits in adolescence predisposes youth to negative behavioral and social outcomes and may be particularly damaging to youth involved in the justice system. Whereas research has shown that CU traits predict later arrest, it remains unknown whether rearrest predicts changes in CU traits and whether these associations may be modified by maternal relationship quality. The present study assessed whether being rearrested predicted changes in CU traits and whether these associations varied by maternal warmth and maternal hostility. HYPOTHESES: We hypothesized that self-reported CU traits would increase at data collection time points following rearrest. Further, we hypothesized that maternal warmth would buffer the negative effects of rearrest, whereas maternal hostility would not have a significant moderating effect on the associations. METHOD: Hypotheses were tested using a large, multisite longitudinal data set of 1,216 justice-involved male youth (Mage = 15.82 years at baseline; 47% Latino, 38% Black/African American, 15% White). Data from a series of nine interviews (across a 7-year period) were used to determine associations between rearrest at one-time point and CU traits at the subsequent time point. RESULTS: Rearrest is associated with a significant increase in CU traits. However, these associations are not moderated by either maternal warmth or maternal hostility. CONCLUSIONS: Rearrest predicts increases in a known risk factor for healthy socioemotional development among justice-involved youths (CU traits). Moreover, the way rearrest is associated with CU traits does not change depending on maternal warmth; rearrest is associated with increases in CU traits irrespective of the quality of a youth's relationship with their mother. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Psychopathy, pain, and pain empathy: A psychophysiological study.

The present study examined whether people higher in psychopathy experienced less self-reported and psychophysiological nociceptive pressure than people lower in psychopathy. We also examined whether psychopathy affects empathy for others' pain via self-reported and psychophysiological measures. Three hundred and sixty-nine students (18-78 years; M = 26, SD = 9.34) were screened for psychopathic traits using the Youth Psychopathy Inventory (YPI). Stratified sampling was used to recruit 49 adults residing in the highest (n = 23) and lowest (n = 26) 20% of the psychopathy spectrum. Using skin conductance response (SCR) and self-report responses, participants responded to individually adjusted intensities of pneumatic pressure and others' pain images and completed self-reported psychopathy and empathy measures (Triarchic Psychopathy Measure, TriPm; Interpersonal Reactivity Index, IRI). People higher in psychopathy self-reported feeling less nociceptive pressure compared to people lower in psychopathy, yet we did not find any differences in SCR to nociceptive pressure. However, when viewing other people in pain, the high psychopathy group displayed lower SCR and lower self-reported empathy compared to those lower in psychopathy. Our results suggest psychopathic traits relate to problems empathising with others' pain, as well as the perception of nociceptive pressure. We also show support for the theory of dual harm which has been receiving increasing attention. Consequently, psychopathy interventions should focus both on recognising and empathising with the pain of others.

A multi-study investigation assessing the potential redundancy among the Dark Tetrad using a narrowband trait approach.

We investigated the putative redundancy of the Dark Tetrad (specifically, Machiavellianism-psychopathy and sadism-psychopathy) through an examination of the differences between correlations with self-reported narrowband personality traits. In addition to measures of the Dark Tetrad, participants in four studies completed measures of various narrowband traits assessing general personality, aggression, impulsivity, Mimicry Deception Theory, and Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory. Results generally supported empirical distinctions between Machiavellianism and psychopathy, and between sadism and psychopathy. Machiavellianism significantly differed from psychopathy across correlations for nine of 10 traits (Study 1), 8 of 25 facets (Study 2), aggression (Study 3), 12 of 25 facets (Study 3), four of five facets (Study 4), impulsivity (Study 4), and five of six facets (Study 4). Sadism significantly differed from psychopathy across correlations with five of 10 traits (Study 1), eight of 25 facets (Study 2), reactive aggression (Study 3), 10 of 25 facets (Study 3), three of six facets (Study 4), impulsivity (Study 4), and three of six facets (Study 4). Our findings challenge the claims that Machiavellianism and psychopathy, as well as sadism and psychopathy, as currently measured, are redundant.

The Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits (ICU) self-report version: Factor structure, measurement invariance, and predictive validity in justice-involved male adolescents.

The Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits (ICU) is a widely used measure of callous-unemotional (CU) traits that may aid in the assessment of the diagnostic specifier "with limited prosocial emotions," which has been added to diagnostic criteria for conduct disorder. Though there is substantial support for use of the ICU total score, the scale's factor structure has been highly debated. Inconsistencies in past factor analyses may be largely attributed to failure to control for method variance due to item wording (i.e., half of the items being worded in the callous direction and half worded in the prosocial direction). Thus, the present study used a multitrait-multimethod confirmatory factor analytic approach that models both trait and method variance to test the factor structure of the ICU self-report in a clinically relevant, high-risk sample of justice-involved male adolescents (N = 1,216). When comparing the fit of empirical and theoretical models, goodness of fit indices (χ² = 1105.877, df = 190, root-mean-square error of approximation = .063, comparative fit index = .916, Tucker-Lewis index = .878, standardized root-mean-square residual = .051) provided support for a hierarchical four-factor model (i.e., one overarching callous-unemotional factor, four latent trait factors) when accounting for method variance (i.e., covarying positively worded items). This factor structure is consistent with the way the ICU was constructed and with criteria for the limited prosocial emotions specifier. In addition, measurement invariance of this factor structure across age, race, and ethnicity was supported, and the predictive validity of the ICU was supported across these demographic groups in predicting self-reported antisocial behavior and rearrests over a 5-year period following an adolescent's first arrest. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Psychopathy measurement practices moderate psychopathy's association with anxiety and depression: A comprehensive meta-analysis.

Theories of psychopathy development traditionally emphasize that individuals high in psychopathy experience diminished internalizing symptoms (e.g., anxiety and depression). However, many studies find null or even positive relationships between psychopathy and internalizing. The current meta-analysis therefore aimed to provide a comprehensive understanding of heterogeneity in psychopathy-anxiety/depression relationships by examining measurement and sample-related variables that may moderate these associations (e.g., psychopathy subdimensions assessed, different measures/operationalizations of psychopathy and anxiety/depression, and demographic characteristics). Results suggest that psychopathy demonstrates a small, positive overall association with anxiety/depression (r = 0.09), which may indicate that psychopathy is unrelated to subjective experiences of anxiety and sadness, but results could also reflect that varying psychopathy and anxiety/depression assessment practices contribute to heterogeneity in psychopathy-anxiety/depression associations. Most notably, results indicate that associations vary substantially across different measures/operationalizations of psychopathy, even when controlling for sample type and informant. Some psychopathy scales could therefore inadvertently capture anxiety/depression symptoms or broader psychopathology in addition to psychopathic traits. Findings from the current meta-analysis can inform future efforts to understand how measurement-related considerations influence relationships between psychopathy and anxiety/depression.

Locating triarchic model constructs in the hierarchical structure of a comprehensive trait-based psychopathy measure: Implications for research and clinical assessment.

The triarchic model posits that distinct trait constructs of boldness, meanness, and disinhibition underlie psychopathy. The triarchic model traits are conceptualized as biobehavioral dimensions that can be assessed using different sets of indicators from alternative measurement modalities; as such, the triarchic model would hypothesize that these traits are not confined to any one item set. The present study tested whether the triarchic model dimensions would emerge from a hierarchical-structural analysis of the facet scales of the Elemental Psychopathy Assessment (EPA), an inventory designed to comprehensively index psychopathy according to the five-factor personality model. Study participants (Ns = 811, 170) completed the EPA and three different scale sets assessing the triarchic traits along with criterion measures of antisocial/externalizing behaviors. Bass-ackwards modeling of the EPA facet scales revealed a four-level structure, with factors at the third level appearing similar to the triarchic trait dimensions. An analysis in which scores for the Level-3 EPA factors were regressed onto corresponding latent-trait dimensions defined using the different triarchic scale sets revealed extremely high convergence (ßs = .84-.91). The Level-3 EPA factors also evidenced validity in relation to relevant criteria, approximating and sometimes exceeding that evident for the Level-4 EPA factors. Together, these results indicate that the triarchic trait constructs are embedded in a psychopathy inventory designed to align with a general personality model and effectively predict pertinent external criteria. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

"Prototypic personality disorder" and the social issue: The category of psychopathy in Polish psychiatry in the interwar period.

The category of psychopathy has a long history, and its meaning has undergone a notable evolution since its conception in the 19th century. The history of psychopathy has been concentrating mainly on English- and German-speaking psychopathology. This article investigates definitions of psychopathy, its classification, and social issues associated with this category in Polish psychiatry in the interwar period. Polish definitions of psychopathy were influenced predominantly by Ernst Kretschmer's constitutional theory as well as by Eugen Kahn's, William Stern's, and Kurt Schneider's ideas. The term was generally understood as a borderline category denoting states between health and mental illness. As those states could manifest differently, it was thought to be many psychopathies. Two Polish psychiatrists, Maurycy Bornsztajn and Jakub Frostig, presented comprehensive classifications of psychopathies. Social issues associated with the category of psychopathy concentrated on three topics: psychopathy in children as a problem of the prevention of mental disorders; psychopathy as a problem of the justice system, the penitentiary, and military systems; and psychopathy as an issue of eugenics and social usefulness. Polish psychiatrists highlighted the need for the development of national institutions for the care of psychopathic children. Issues of accountability and insanity of psychopaths from the point of view of forensic psychiatry were also discussed. In conclusion, psychopathy in interwar Polish psychiatry was not just one of the personality disorders-it denoted the whole spectrum of characterological disturbances; thus, it rather corresponds to the modern category of personality disorders than to the contemporary understanding of psychopathy. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Understanding empathy deficits and emotion dysregulation in psychopathy: The mediating role of alexithymia.

Psychopathy is a severe personality disorder marked by a wide range of emotional deficits, including a lack of empathy, emotion dysregulation, and alexithymia. Previous research has largely examined these emotional impairments in isolation, ignoring their influence on each other. Thus, we examined the concurrent interrelationship between emotional impairments in psychopathy, with a particular focus on the mediating role of alexithymia. Using path analyses with cross-sectional data from a community sample (N = 315) and a forensic sample (N = 50), our results yielded a statistically significant mediating effect of alexithymia on the relationship between psychopathy and empathy (community and forensic) and between psychopathy and emotion dysregulation (community). Moreover, replacing psychopathy with its three dimensions (i.e., meanness, disinhibition, and boldness) in the community sample revealed that boldness may function as an adaptive trait, with lower levels of alexithymia counteracting deficits in empathy and emotion dysregulation. Overall, our findings indicate that psychopathic individuals' limited understanding of their own emotions contributes to their lack of empathy and emotion dysregulation. This underscores the potential benefits of improving emotional awareness in the treatment of individuals with psychopathy.

The impact of psychopathic traits on anxiety-related behaviors in a mixed reality environment.

There is an ongoing debate about anxiety deficits in psychopathy and their possible impact on individual behavior. Data on actual anxiety- and threat-related behavior associated with psychopathy is still limited. We performed a mixed reality study using the elevated plus-maze (EPM) in a non-clinical sample (N = 160) to test anxiety-related behavior in relation to psychopathic personality traits measured through the Brief Questionnaire of Psychopathic Personality Traits (FPP). The psychopathy sum score correlated significantly with all measures of anxiety-related behavior on the EPM. Sensation seeking, but not general levels of acrophobia was moreover associated with psychopathic traits. Multivariate analyses revealed that the subscales Fearlessness and Lack of Empathy of the FPP predicted anxious behavior. Our findings are the first to demonstrate the relationship between psychopathic traits and actual behavior in an anxiety-inducing environment. This supports the low-anxiety hypothesis in psychopathy research. Implications for potentially harmful or risky behavior are discussed.

Measurement invariance of the inventory of Callous­Unemotional traits in different age groups from preschool age to late adolescence in Germany.

BACKGROUND: Callous-unemotional traits are associated with the development of severe behavior problems, delinquency, and psychopathy. Previous studies have repeatedly shown that CU traits may be present as early as preschool age, and they have consistently used the Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits (ICU) to assess CU traits in children and adolescents. A three-factor structure for the ICU has been widely endorsed. METHOD: The aim of our study is to compare the three-factor structure of the ICU in different age groups (preschool, middle childhood, early, and late adolescence) and to test for measurement invariance in a German sample of N = 2368 children and adolescents (M = 11.76 years; SD = 3.72). RESULTS: The results of our study indicate configural measurement invariance, suggesting that the ICU has the same structure in all age groups but with different meanings, parameters, and mean values in the groups. CONCLUSION: Accordingly, the ICU cannot be applied in the same way to children and adolescents of different age groups, which emphasizes the need for a more differentiated assessment.

Initial tweet valence, abuse volume, and observer Dark Tetrad characteristics influence perceptions of female celebrity abuse on Twitter.

Research into relationships between victim-generated content, abuse received, and observer characteristics when considering Twitter abuse has been limited to male victims. We evaluated participant perceptions of female celebrity victims and abuse received on Twitter. We used a 3 (Initial Tweet Valence; negative, neutral, positive) × 2 (Abuse Volume; low, high) repeated measures design and online survey method. Participants were shown tweets generated by six female celebrities, counterbalanced such that each participant saw each celebrity in one Valence-Volume condition. Stimuli were presented across six 'lists' such that celebrity 'victims' could be rotated across Valence-Volume pairings. Participants rated-per target stimulus-the level of blame attributable to the victim and the perceived severity of the incident. Furthermore, participants were asked to complete a Dark Tetrad scale-measuring their Machiavellianism, Narcissism, Psychopathy, and Sadism. Analyses determined that victim-blaming was influenced by victim Initial Tweet Valence (greater victim-blaming associated with more-negative content) and observer Machiavellianism. Perceived severity was influenced by victim Initial Tweet Valence, Volume of Abuse received, and observer Machiavellianism. Results were consistent with previous research involving male celebrity victims. Further research is needed to understand the contributions of participants' hostile and benevolent sexism, as well as the role of victim attractiveness.

Dark Tetrad personality traits, paraphilic interests, and the role of impulsivity: an EEG-study using a Go/No-Go paradigm.

Maladaptive personality traits, such as 'dark personalities' are found to result in a diverse set of negative outcomes, including paraphilic interests and associated (illegal) behaviors. It is however unclear how these are exactly related, and if related, if then only those individuals higher on dark personality traits and higher impulsivity engage in paraphilic behaviors. In the current study, 50 participants were recruited to investigate the relationship between Dark Tetrad personality traits (i.e., narcissism, psychopathy, Machiavellianism and everyday sadism), paraphilic interests (arousal and behavior) and the moderating role of impulsivity. Personality and paraphilic interests were investigated through self-report questionnaires. Impulsivity was measured both through self-reported dysfunctional impulsivity and the P3 event related potential using electroencephalography during the Go/No-Go task (i.e. response inhibition). The results showed that there was a positive association between psychopathy, sadism and paraphilic interests. Whereas everyday sadism was associated with paraphilic (self-reported) arousal, psychopathy was associated with paraphilic behavior. Although P3 amplitude was not associated with paraphilic interests, self-reported dysfunctional impulsivity was associated with paraphilic behavior specifically. However, there was no moderating role of dysfunctional impulsivity and response inhibition (P3) in the relationship between psychopathy and paraphilic behavior. Findings indicate that the relation between specific dark personalities and paraphilic interests may be more complex than initially thought. Nevertheless, risk assessment and intervention approaches for paraphilia and related behavior both may benefit from incorporating Dark Tetrad and impulsivity measurements.

Reduced late positive potentials to distress in individuals with high psychopathic traits during pain judgment tasks.

This study examined the empathic processing of individuals with psychopathic traits and healthy controls in response to pain, applying affective perspective-taking (Self vs. Other). Twenty subjects with high psychopathic traits and twenty control subjects performed pain judgment tasks in the study. During the tasks, late positive potentials (LPPs) of the participants were measured to assess emotional processing in reaction to visual stimuli depicting painful or non-painful situations. In early LPP time stage (500-700 ms), the control group and the psychopathic trait group exhibited comparable levels of empathic processing regarding pain. However, in late LPP time window (700-1100 ms), the control group showed a greater LPP amplitude to Pain stimuli than No-pain stimuli, whereas the psychopathic trait group exhibited non-significant amplitude differences between Pain and No-pain stimuli. These findings imply that individuals with high psychopathic traits may swiftly terminate the processing and encounter difficulties in reappraising distress cues, especially in the late stage, providing psychophysiological support for distinctive empathic processing with temporal aspects.