Genetic effects on male sexual coercion

The genetic and environmental influences on sexual coercion, and to what extent its associations with alcohol use and psychopathy depend on shared genetic and environmental effects, were explored in a Finnish population-based sample of 938 men, aged 33-43 years, using the classical twin study design. All three phenotypes were associated positively and affected by genes (sexual coercion 28%, alcohol use 60%, psychopathy 54%), with 46% of the correlation between sexual coercion and psychopathy, 89% of the correlation between alcohol use and psychopathy and 100% of the correlation between sexual coercion and alcohol use being explained by shared genetic effects. Further, the results showed that a proportion of the variance in sexual coercion was derived from a highly genetic source that was common with alcohol use and psychopathy. This latent factor was hypothesized to reflect a general tendency for antisocial behavior that is pervasive across different situations. Relevant theories on sexual coercion were discussed in light of the results.     

精神病态暴力犯执行功能的缺陷*

为了解精神病态罪犯可能存在的执行功能缺陷及其是否受冲动性影响,研究采用精神病态检核表（PCL-R）筛选出30名精神病态组被试和30名非精神病态组被试,通过爱荷华赌博任务（IGT）和河内塔任务（TOH）对两组被试执行功能的特点进行分析,并结合冲动性量表（BIS-11）对其冲动性进行测量。研究发现精神病态组的冲动性显著高于控制组;精神病态组选择高风险的不利牌显著多于对照组,即对惩罚不敏感;精神病态组在河内塔任务中的错误次数及所消耗时间都显著高于控制组;冲动性水平与两任务得分均无显著相关。结果表明,精神病态暴力犯在与前额叶相关的执行功能上存在缺陷,并与个体的高冲动性无关。     

The Association between Anxiety and Psychopathy Dimensions in Children

Although several theoretical models posit that low levels of anxiety are a risk factor for psychopathy and antisocial behavior, a number of studies have reported elevated levels of anxiety among antisocial individuals. Nevertheless, most investigators in this literature have not distinguished between fearfulness and trait anxiety or attempted to separate the antisocial lifestyle dimension from the callous and unemotional dimension of psychopathy. In a study of clinically referred children (N = 143), we found that (a) measures of trait anxiety and fearlessness (low fearfulness) exhibited low correlations; (b) conduct problems tended to be positively correlated with trait anxiety, whereas callous and unemotional traits tended to be negatively correlated with trait anxiety; and (c) controlling statistically for the effects of one dimension increased the divergent correlations of the other dimension with both trait anxiety and fearful inhibition. These findings bear potentially important implications for the diagnosis and etiology of psychopathy and antisocial behavior and suggest that distinctions between trait anxiety and fearful inhibition, as well as between the two dimensions of psychopathy, may help to clarify longstanding confusion in this literature.     

Deficient Behavioral Inhibition and Anomalous Selective Attention in a Community Sample of Adolescents with Psychopathic Traits and Low-Anxiety Traits

Socialization is the important process by which individuals learn and then effectively apply the rules of appropriate societal behavior. Response modulation is a psychobiological process theorized to aid in socialization by allowing individuals to utilize contextual information to modify ongoing behavior appropriately. Using Hare’s (1991) Psychopathy Checklist and the Welsh (1956) anxiety scale, researchers have identified a relatively specific form of a response modulation deficit in low-anxious, Caucasian psychopaths. Preliminary evidence suggests that the Antisocial Process Screening Device (APSD; Frick & Hare, 2001) may be used to identify children with a similar vulnerability. Using a representative community sample of 308 16-year-olds from the Child Development Project (Dodge, Bates, & Pettit, 1990), we tested and corroborated the hypotheses that participants with relatively low anxiety and high APSD scores would display poorer passive avoidance learning and less interference on a spatially separated, picture-word Stroop task than controls. Consistent with hypotheses, the expected group differences in picture-word Stroop interference were found with male and female participants, whereas predicted differences in passive avoidance were specific to male participants. To the extent that response modulation deficits contributing to poor socialization among psychopathic adult offenders also characterize a subgroup of adolescents with mild conduct problems, clarification of the developmental processes that moderate the expression of this vulnerability could inform early interventions.     

Commentary: What is the Meaning and Utility of the Psychopathy Concept?

The concept and measurement of psychopathy in young people is discussed with respect to five key issues: (1) the respective merits of self-reports and ratings by others; (2) whether callous/unemotional (CU) features may be more appropriately tapped by physiological measures; (3) the possible utility of genetic studies; (4) the distinctiveness of CU from other risk factors for antisocial behavior; and (5) the homogeneity of CU as a construct.     

Differential Associations Between Psychopathy Dimensions,Types of Aggression,and Response Inhibition

Findings on executive functioning in psychopathy are inconsistent. Different associations between psychopathy dimensions and executive functioning might explain contradicting findings. This study examined the role of psychopathy dimensions and types of aggression in response inhibition among 117 male adolescents (53 antisocial delinquents and 64 controls). Participants completed a self‐report measure of aggression and a GoNoGo task. Psychopathy dimensions were assessed using the Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version. Although high scores on the antisocial dimension and reactive aggression were associated with poor response inhibition, the affective–interpersonal dimension, proactive aggression, and verbal intelligence (IQ) were related to better response inhibition (two‐factor model). Associations with the affective–interpersonal dimensions did not reach significance. Exploratory analyses showed that affective and antisocial facets accounted for the obtained opposing associations of the affective–interpersonal and antisocial psychopathy dimensions with response inhibition. The interpersonal and lifestyle facets (four‐facet model) were unrelated to response inhibition. Results could not be explained by Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Findings suggest differential associations between the psychopathy dimensions, types of aggression, and response inhibition. Therefore, a dimensional approach to psychopathy and related concepts, such as aggression, might strongly improve diagnostic procedures. Global scores could mask important differential associations. Aggr. Behav. 38:77‐88, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

黑暗人格三合一研究述评

如果说大五人格代表了特质论人格心理学对非临床人格的研究成果,近期出现的黑暗人格三合一则代表了对亚临床人格阴暗面的研究成果。黑暗人格三合一由马基雅维利主义、自恋和精神病态三种人格特质构成,这三种人格特质在西方文化中均属于反社会型人格特质。对黑暗人格三合一的研究发现:(1)马基雅维利主义、自恋和精神病态各自独立又相互交织;(2)它们的测量工具均较为成熟;(3)黑暗人格三合一不仅具有反社会性,也具有亲社会性;(4)黑暗人格三合一反映个体的快速生命策略;(5)遗传和环境因素在黑暗人格三合一的形成中发挥不同作用;(6)黑暗人格三合一是不同于大五人格的人格特质群。     

The Relation of Psychopathic Characteristics and Anxiety in Noncriminals: Physiological and Cognitive Responses to Guided Imagery

In response to a paucity of research examining the phenomenology of psychopathy among nonforensic samples, the present study explored the relations among psychopathic traits, self-reported anxiety, and physiological reactivity to experimental stimuli. Undergraduate students with no history of criminal behavior listened to four audiotaped vignettes designed to elicit affective responses. Imagery and anxiety ratings, as well as physiological indices supported the utility of the experimental manipulation. Consistent with data obtained among forensic samples, participants with greater psychopathic characteristics exhibited electrodermal hyporeactivity in response to guided imagery. However, inconsistent with previous findings, hyporeactivity was primarily related to high emotional detachment rather than elevated levels of deviant behavior. Results also suggested certain psychopathic qualities (emotional detachment) may be more associated with somatic and trait anxiety than other characteristics (deviant behavior), although anxiety did not moderate the effects of psychopathic characteristics on physiological responding. Theoretical implications are addressed, including the possible generalizability of psychophysiological models of diagnosed psychopaths to individuals with more benign psychopathic characteristics.