Abstract
This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory - Short version (YPI-S) among a mixed-gender sample of 782 Portuguese youth (M = 15.87 years; SD = 1.72) collected in a school context. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis offered support for the expected 3-factor structure. Partial cross-gender measurement invariance and cross-sample measurement invariance of the YPI-S using a forensic sample of institutionalized males was established. The Portuguese version of the YPI-S showed adequate psychometric properties in terms of internal consistency, mean inter-item correlation, corrected item-total correlation, convergent validity, and discriminant validity. In support for criterion-related validity, the YPI-S also showed statistically significant associations with self-reported conduct disorder symptoms, alcohol abuse, and drug use. In terms of known-groups validity, males from the school sample scored lower than males from the forensic sample and higher than females from the school sample. The YPI-S seems to be a valuable brief and psychometrically reliable and valid self-report measure, which can be used to assess psychopathic traits in diverse samples of youth.
Highlights
The construct of psychopathy is characterized by a set of affective, interpersonal, and behavioral deviant features [1,2]
The results were quite similar to the ones obtained by Pechorro and colleagues [30] in a study analyzing the Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory (YPI) and the YPI-S using a forensic sample of Portuguese male young offenders, this previously conducted study obtained slightly better results in terms of the fit indexes than the present community sample study
Though not related to this study, for the reasons mentioned above, it would be of importance to revise some items of the YPI, those related to the affective dimension, and mainly the reversed ones. This was the first study investigating the psychometric properties of the YPI among a large, geographically diverse community sample of male and female Portuguese youth, while simultaneously testing for measurement invariance across gender and sample type, and reporting a more appropriate reliability coefficient
Summary
The construct of psychopathy is characterized by a set of affective, interpersonal, and behavioral deviant features [1,2]. Psychopathy is considered a relevant variable for forensic purposes, because it seems to be associated with the most early, severe, and stable forms of antisocial behavior [3,4,5,6]. Despite some criticisms [15,16] the more recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) [17] added the “with limited prosocial emotions” specifier for conduct disorder. This specifier includes features often identified as psychopathic traits, callous-unemotional ones [17]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
