Abstract
Recently, there has been some debate in the psychological literature involving the factor structure of subclinical psychopathy. Hare’s (2003) well-established theory involving an oblique (i.e., correlated) fourfactor solution has recently been challenged by an orthogonal (i.e., uncorrelated) two-factor solution. Using the Hare Self-Report Psychopathy Scale-III (SRP-III; four oblique factors) and the Psychopathic Personality Index (PPI; two orthogonal factors), we compared these two factor conceptions in an undergraduate sample (N = 274) on three main criteria: (1) intercorrelations among the psychopathy factors, (2) associations with self-reported delinquency, and (3) associations with Big Five personality factors. Results showed that the SRP-III factors and the PPI-Behavioral factor correlated strongly with each other, whereas the PPI-Personality factor did not correlate positively with the SRP-III factors or the PPI-Behavioral factor. Second, the PPI-Personality factor was not associated with delinquency, whereas each of the SRP-III factors and the PPI-Behavioral factor were correlated with delinquency. Finally, the SRP-III factors and the PPI-Behavioral factor showed expected correlations with the Big Five, whereas several PPI-Personality factor correlations contradicted the literature, including significant positive correlations with Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Emotional Stability. Together, these results suggest that the oblique SRP-III factor conception may be more legitimate than that of the orthogonal PPI factors, due to the questionable validity of the PPI-Personality factor. Furthermore, the oblique factor conception is more consistent with the notion that psychopathy is a coherent construct.
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