Psychopathy traits are associated with self-report rating of executive functions in the everyday life of healthy adults

Abstract

Neuropsychological studies of psychopathy have yielded inconsistent findings with respect to executive functions (EF). This may be due to heterogeneity of psychopathy, with some studies using performance-based tests showing a stronger association between EF and Antisocial-Impulsivity (AI) than Fearless-Dominance (FD) traits. Variability in findings may also be due to limited ecological validity of performance-based tests of EF. In this present study, we evaluated the relationship between AI and FD psychopathy traits and subjective ratings of EF in everyday life. Participants were 524 healthy adults who completed the Psychopathic Personality Inventory and the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function - Adult (BRIEF-A). Hierarchical regression analysis was conducted accounting for demographic characteristics and mood. Results revealed that more severe AI and FD were both associated with worse inhibitory control. More severe AI was also related to difficulty monitoring the effect of one's behavior on others and keeping organized. More severe FD was related to better emotional control and cognitive flexibility. These findings indicate that psychopathy traits are associated with subjective ratings of EF in everyday life. Although FD and AI showed some differences with respect to their association with EF, impulsivity appears to be a more general feature of psychopathy.