Further Evidence for Reliability and Validity of the Triarchic Psychopathy Measure in a Forensic Sample and a Community Sample

Psychopathy is often described as a constellation of personality characteristics encompassing features such as impulsivity and antisociality, and a lack of empathy and guilt. Although the use of self-reports to assess psychopathy is still debated, there are distinct advantages to such measures and recent research suggests that they may not be as problematic as previously thought. This study further examined the reliability and validity of the Triarchic Psychopathy Measure (TriPM) in a community sample (N = 496) and forensic psychiatric patient sample (N = 217). Results indicated excellent internal consistencies. Additionally, the TriPM total and subscale scores related as expected to different subscales of the Psychopathic Personality Inventory –Revised (PPI-R) and to the Reactive and Proactive Aggression Questionnaire, reflecting good construct validity. Most importantly, ROC curve analyses showed that the TriPM evidenced better discrimination between the community sample and forensic psychiatric patients than the PPI-R. The current study extends the existent evidence demonstrating that the TriPM can be used as an efficient self-report instrument.     

Construct Validity of the Perceived Criticism Measure

The construct validity of the Perceived Criticism Measure (PCM) was examined in 2 studies. In Study 1, 50 community couples participated in problem-solving interactions after which they rated interaction-specific perceived criticism and their criticism of their spouses. In addition, they provided ratings of perceived criticism for their relationship overall and completed measures of psychopathology and marital satisfaction. For both husbands and wives, convergent validity was demonstrated by moderate-to-large correlations between the PCM and spouses' own ratings of their criticism for both general and interaction-specific perceived criticism. In Study 2, 37 patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder and their spouses participated in problem-solving interactions and provided ratings of marital satisfaction and general perceived criticism. Five untrained coders rated the interactions according to their own definitions of the relatives' destructive criticism of the patient. Their aggregated ratings proved strongly related to patients' PCM scores. Higher PCM scores were related to lower marital satisfaction in both Studies 1 and 2. The results of these studies are supportive of the convergent validity of the Perceived Criticism Measure. Evidence of discriminant validity was mixed.     

Construct Validity of the Social Physique Anxiety Scale in a French Adolescent Sample

The present study explored the validity of constriction as an indicator of depression. Twenty-five patients displaying constriction in their Bender records and 25 patients not showing this indicator were compared with regard to MMPI Depression scores. A significant difference was found between D scores of these two groups (p<.05), supporting the validity of the indicator as an index of depression. Constriction was found to be infrequent, occurring in only 5.5% of the patient records. Although the indicator seems to be of some value as an indicator of depression its utility is lessened due its low rate of occurrence.     

A Further Evaluation of the Triarchic Conceptualization of Psychopathy in College Students

The current study provides additional information about the nomological networks of the personality dimensions associated with the triarchic conceptualization of psychopathy – boldness, meanness, and disinhibition (Patrick et al. 2009). All analyses were based on a sample of college students (N = 633 to 637; 50 % women). We evaluated correlations between measures of the triarchic constructs and measures of the facets and domains of the Five-Factor Model (FFM). We also evaluated associations between triarchic constructs and measures of self-esteem, narcissism, aggression and antisocial behavior and tested whether the triarchic measures increment measures of the FFM for predicting these variables. We replicated and extended previous studies concerning the correlates of boldness, meanness, and disinhibition. We also found evidence that measures of the triarchic dimensions incremented measures of the FFM, especially when considering self-reported antisocial behavior.     

The Validity of the Role Construct Repertory Test as a Measure of Sexual Identification

Although the majority of research on Therapeutic Assessment (TA) discusses the application of TA in research or private practice settings, we found that the model could be applied in a community mental health setting. We argue that when implementing this model with racially diverse, low socioeconomic status children, it is essential to integrate issues of class, privilege, and race into the assessment process. A case is presented that illuminates the specific concerns and struggles of adapting this model to a community psychology population. This analysis includes the interface with systems, placement stability, and consideration of culturally responsible treatment. We also demonstrate how the support of a treatment team helps the individual clinician process and integrate the levels of trauma and pain with which these families present.     

Exploring the Construct Validity of the Social Cognition and Object Relations Scale in a Clinical Sample

The resistance of the Personal Orientation Dimensions (POD) to deliberate attempts at creating a favorable impression was investigated. Two groups of college students were used: (a) 21 students completed the POD under standard instructions, then received information about actualization, and completed the POD again under instructions to Create a very good impression; (b) 21 students completed the POD under standard instructions, then received information not related to actualization, and completed the POD again under instructions to create a very good impression. An analyses indicated that providing students with information about actualization did not facilitate their ability to create a favorable impression on the POD. The POD profiles produced by both groups changed significantly, and in a similar direction from pretest to posttest. Evidence is presented suggesting the existence of a "lie profile" which distinguishes deliberate attempts to create a favorable impression on the POD. These findings provide support for the resistance of the POD to deliberate attempts at creating a favorable impression.     

A Comparison of the Construct Validity of Two Alternative Approaches to the Assessment of Psychopathy in the Community

This study compared the validity of 2 different self-report approaches to the assessment of psychopathy in nonforensic samples: the Psychopathy Resemblance Index (PRI), derived from a measure of normal personality functioning, and the Self-Report Psychopathy Scale (SRP), developed specifically to assess the maladaptive traits associated with psychopathy. In 2 adult samples (n ₁ = 260, n₂ = 250), the PRI and the SRP were positively correlated with each other and with measures of maladaptive personality traits related to Machiavellianism and narcissism. However, unlike the SRP, the PRI was independent of trait empathy and general psychopathology and was positively associated with trait emotional intelligence. These results suggest that the PRI captures a more adaptive variant of psychopathy than does the SRP.     

Eating Disorders Inventory: Assessment of its Construct Validity in a Nonclinical French Sample of Adolescents

Recent studies have questioned the appropriateness of the original Eating Disorders Inventory (EDI) in nonclinical samples of adolescents. The main objective of the present series of studies is to systematically test the construct validity of the EDI (i.e. content, factorial, convergent, discriminant and discriminative) in a nonclinical sample of French adolescents. A total sample of 1,323 adolescents was involved in these five studies. The factorial validity and the measurement invariance of the EDI were verified through confirmatory factorial analyses. Correlation and student t-tests were also used to test the convergent and discriminative validity of the EDI. Results from the first study confirmed the unsuitability of the French original EDI for young adolescents. Items were re-worded and an adaptation for adolescents was developed (EDI-A). The following four studies provided support for the factorial validity, measurement invariance, reliability, convergent validity and discriminant validity for a short form (i.e. 24 items) of the EDI-A. The present results thus provide preliminary evidence regarding the construct validity of the 24-item EDI-A for French nonclinical adolescents. Recommendations for future uses and research activities with this instrument in French speaking adolescents are outlined.     

Higher Levels of Psychopathy Predict Poorer Motor Control: Implications for Understanding the Psychopathy Construct

A review of the literature suggests that higher levels of psychopathy may be linked to less effective behavioral control. However, several commentators have urged caution in making statements of this type in the absence of direct evidence. In two studies (total N?=?142), moment-to-moment accuracy in a motor control task was examined as a function of dimensional variations in psychopathy in an undergraduate population. As hypothesized, motor control was distinctively worse at higher levels of psychopathy relative to lower levels, both as a function of primary and secondary psychopathy and particularly their shared variance. These novel findings provide support for the idea that motor control systematically varies by psychopathy, in a basic manner, consistent with views of psychopathy emphasizing lesser control.     

The Hierarchical Structure and Construct Validity of the PID‐5 Trait Measure in Adolescence

The DSM‐5 may be the first edition that enables a developmental perspective on personality disorders because of its proposal to include a trait assessment in the Axis II section. The current study explores the reliability, structure, and construct validity of the Personality Inventory for DSM‐5 (PID‐5; Krueger, Derringer, Markon, Watson, & Skodol, 2012) in adolescents, a measure that assesses the proposed DSM‐5 traits. A community sample of Flemish adolescents (N = 434; 44.7% male) provided self‐reports on the PID‐5 and the Dimensional Personality Symptom Itempool (DIPSI; De Clercq, De Fruyt, Van Leeuwen, & Mervielde, 2006). Results indicate an acceptable reliability for the majority of the PID‐5 facets and a tendency toward structural convergence of the adolescent PID‐5 structure with the adult proposal. Convergent validity with age‐specific facets of personality pathology was generally supported, but discriminant validity appeared to be low. Beyond the findings that support the applicability of the PID‐5 in adolescents, developmental issues may be responsible for specific differences in the adolescent PID‐5 structure, the rather poor discriminant validity of the PID‐5, and the lower reliability of a small number of PID‐5 facets. These results indicate that further research on the validity of the PID‐5 in younger age groups is required.     

Criterion Validity of a Coping Measure

A paucity of evidence for the validity of coping questionnaires prompted investigation of the Coping Strategy Indicator (CSI; Amirkhan, 1990), a self-report measure of three fundamental modes of coping that has already demonstrated considerable psychometric strength. Three tests of criterion-related validity were performed, with variations in both the types of stressors and respondents sampled. In the first, CSI scores were found to correspond to coping choices made under the threat of electric shock in a laboratory. In the second and third, the CSI correctly identified coping patterns associated with participation in educational and therapeutic programs in more natural settings. Results confirmed the validity and wide applicability of the CSI and suggested avenues for future basic and applied research.     

Genetic and Environmental Influences on Psychopathy Trait Dimensions in a Community Sample of Male Twins

Psychopathy appears to be comprised of two broad dimensions: impulsivity/antisocial behavior and interpersonal detachment/callousness. This study examined the extent to which variance in these 2 psychopathy trait dimensions was associated with common or unique genetic, shared, and nonshared environmental factors in two independent samples of reared together 16–18-year-old male twins. One sample included 142 monozygotic (MZ) and 70 dizygotic (DZ) pairs; the other sample included 128 MZ and 58 DZ pairs. Boys completed the Minnesota Temperament Inventory (MTI), a 19-item measure that contains separate subscales: Antisocial and Detachment. Variance in the Antisocial and Detachment scales was associated with additive genetic factors and neither scale was associated with shared environmental factors. As expected, the bivariate biometric analysis suggested genetic influence on the covariance of the scales. The results are consistent with theoretical models of psychopathy that posit some independence in the etiology of the two major trait dimensions of psychopathy.     

Criterion Validity of the MSI-BPD in a Community Sample of Women

The criterion validity of the McLean Screening Instrument for Borderline Personality Disorder (MSI-BPD; Zanarini et al., Journal of Personality Disorders 17:568–573, 2003) as a quick screening device for borderline personality disorder (BPD) was evaluated alongside the more established Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire-4+ Borderline subscale (PDQ-BPD; Hyler 1994) using receiver operator characteristic (ROC) analysis. Both instruments demonstrated adequate criterion validity with the diagnosis of BPD derived from a clinician-administered diagnostic interview. Optimal cutoffs for each measure were determined using sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative likelihood ratios. The previously established cutoff for the MSI-BPD of seven (Zanarini et al., Journal of Personality Disorders 17:568–573, 2003) was confirmed. The current study provides the first support for the use of the MSI-BPD as a screening measure for use in community-based studies of BPD.     

Factorial Validity of the Personality Adjective Checklist in a Dutch-Speaking Sample

We examined the factorial structure of the Dutch version of the Personality Adjective Checklist (PACL–D) in a Belgian sample of 3,012 community-dwelling adults. Exploratory factor analyses revealed a 5-factor structure (Neurotic, Aggressive/Dominant, Introverted vs. Extraverted, Conscientious, and Cooperative), that showed considerable overlap with 3 of the Big Five factors (i.e., Neuroticism, Extraversion, and Conscientiousness). Moreover, the 5-factor structure closely resembled the structure found in the original American PACL and was equivalent across gender and age.     

Construct Validity of the Iowa Gambling Task

The Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) was created to assess real-world decision making in a laboratory setting and has been applied to various clinical populations (i.e., substance abuse, schizophrenia, pathological gamblers) outside those with orbitofrontal cortex damage, for whom it was originally developed. The current review provides a critical examination of lesion, functional neuroimaging, developmental, and clinical studies in order to examine the construct validity of the IGT. The preponderance of evidence provides support for the use of the IGT to detect decision making deficits in clinical populations, in the context of a more comprehensive evaluation. The review includes a discussion of three critical issues affecting the validity of the IGT, as it has recently become available as a clinical instrument: the lack of a concise definition as to what aspect of decision making the IGT measures, the lack of data regarding reliability of the IGT, and the influence of personality and state mood on IGT performance.     

Validity of the Modified Child Psychopathy Scale for Juvenile Justice Center Residents

Adult psychopathy has proven to be an important clinical and forensic construct, but much less is known about juvenile psychopathy. In the present study, we examined the construct validity of the self report modified Child Psychopathy Scale mCPS; Lynam (Psychological Bulletin 120:(2), 209-234, 1997) in a sample of 57 adolescents residing in a Dutch juvenile justice center, aged between 13 and 22?years. The mCPS total score was reliably related to high externalizing problems, low empathy, high anger and aggression, high impulsivity, high (violent) delinquency, and high alcohol/drug use. Unique relations were found for the antisocial-impulsive (mCPS Factor 2), but not the callous-unemotional facet of psychopathy (mCPS Factor 1). Our findings support the validity of the mCPS in that it encompasses the antisocial-impulsive facet of psychopathy, but it is less clear whether the mCPS sufficiently captures the affective-interpersonal facet of psychopathy.     

Internal Validity Studies of a Telephone Preemployment Measure

In this article, the authors present data on the validity and reliability of a new form of employee honesty testing: The Integrity Interview. Advantages of this form of employee honesty testing over other forms are discussed.     

The Validity of Defecation as a Measure of Emotionality in the Rat

The present study employed a free operant discrimination procedure in studying the effects of frontal ablations in rats. Two groups of Ss were trained on a multiple fixed ratio (FR) 3 extinction schedule, and then the experimental group received frontal lesions. Following recovery they were returned to the multiple schedule. It was found that for the experimental group there was a significant loss in discrimination following frontal lesions. These results support a study done by Weiskrantz and Mishkin (8).