Antisocial Traits Research Articles

Development of the Dimensional Clinical Personality Inventory Antisocial Personality Disorder Scale based on the HiTOP

We aimed to develop a version of the Dimensional Clinical Personality Inventory 2 (IDCP-2) according to the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP) for the assessment of antisocial personality disorder traits (i.e., IDCP Antisocial Personality Disorder Scale; IDCP-ASPD), as well as verify its psychometric properties. We developed new factors to cover ASPD traits, and collect data with 206 adults from the community (Mage = 31.3; 77.8% women). Participants completed the IDCP-ASPD, factors from IDCP-2, and Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5). Exploratory structural equation modeling (E-SEM) suggested a 3 factors solution, grouping the 14 factors composing the IDCP-ASPD. Reliability indicators were good. Correlations between IDCP-ASPD and external measures corroborated expectations. The bootstrap two-sample t-test comparing non-clinical and psychiatric groups suggested good discrimination capacity of the IDCP-ASPD. Favorable evidence was found for the usability of the developed scale for ASPD traits measurement, although future studies must replicate the findings in samples composed by ASPD patients.

Effects of Testosterone Suppression on Desire, Hypersexuality, and Sexual Interest in Children in Men with Pedophilic Disorder

Effects of testosterone withdrawal on significant correlates of pedophilic disorder (PeD) are largely unknown. The purpose of this study was to explore in detail the effects of testosterone suppression from degarelix as compared to placebo on desire, hypersexuality, and subjectively experienced sexual interest in participants with PeD. We compared the sexual effects of degarelix, a GnRH antagonist, on men with PeD assigned to degarelix (n =26) or placebo (n = 26) in a double-blind randomized clinical trial. Sexual Desire Inventory scores decreased significantly at two weeks (between-group difference p = 0.001, d = -0.96 [-0.38 to -1.55) and ten weeks (p < 0.001, d = -1.30 [-0.69 to -1.91) in participants assigned degarelix, whereas HBI ratings did not differ significantly at two weeks (p = 0.07, d = -0.52 [0.05 to -1.08) , but did so at ten weeks (p = 0.01, d = -0.72 [-0.15 to -1.29). Fifteen out of 26 (58%) individuals in the group assigned degarelix and 3 out of 26 (12%) in the group assigned to placebo reported no further sexual interest in children at ten weeks (Fisher’s exact test, p < 0.0001), an effect unmodified by autistic, antisocial, or impulsive traits, age, age at onset of, or duration of pedophilic attraction.

Anorexia nervosa, conduct disorder, and the juvenile justice system: a case of applying traditional treatment modalities in a non-traditional setting

BackgroundAnorexia Nervosa is highly comorbid with depressive, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders. However, it has not previously been reported as comorbid with antisocial personality traits, except when substance use disorder is also identified. We present an unusual case of a patient with resistant anorexia nervosa and comorbid conduct disorder. This case was also unique in that the juvenile justice system was involved during treatment.Case presentationA 13-year-old female was admitted to our pediatric hospital for the treatment of anorexia nervosa. She had a history of violent behaviors toward family members, often jeopardizing her care. During hospitalization, she physically attacked a physician on her care team shortly before she transitioned to an eating disorders treatment program. She was diagnosed with conduct disorder, and following discharge, she attacked her father in a premeditated act. This led to her entry into the juvenile justice system. While under the custody of the juvenile justice system, she was readmitted to our hospital for further treatment of anorexia nervosa. Our treatment strategy included psychotropics, positive reinforcement, close interdisciplinary coordination among the various hospital teams, and the juvenile justice system. Following discharge from her second hospitalization back to the juvenile detention system, our patient maintained a healthy weight and appeared to show improvements in the cognitive distortions related to her eating disorder.ConclusionsTo our knowledge, this is the first reported successful treatment of an individual with resistant anorexia nervosa and conduct disorder. It was likely a combination of weight gain, psychotropic medications, and the structured milieu provided by the juvenile justice system that led to the effective treatment of our patient. This case illustrates that a non-traditional healthcare setting can be an asset to treatment through persistence and close collaboration across institutions.

Clarifying gambling subtypes: the revised pathways model of problem gambling.

Background and AimsThe pathways model is a highly cited etiological model of problem gambling. In the past two decades, a number of studies have found support for the model's utility in classifying gambling subtypes. The aims of this paper were to refine empirically the model subtypes and to revise and update the model based on those findings.Design and MeasurementObservational study using data collected from treatment‐seeking problem gamblers using the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) and the Gambling Pathways Questionnaire (GPQ).SettingTreatment clinics in Canada, Australia and the United States.ParticipantsA convenience sample of 1168 treatment‐seeking problem gamblers, aged 18 years or older.FindingsEmpirically validated risk factors were analyzed using latent class analyses, identifying a three‐class solution as the best‐fitting model. Those in the largest class (class 1: 44.3%, n = 517) reported the lowest levels of all etiological risk factors. Participants in class 2 (39.5%, n = 461) reported the highest rates of anxiety and depression, both before and after gambling became a problem, as well as childhood maltreatment, and a high level of gambling for stress‐coping. Those in class 3 (16.3%, n = 190) reported high levels of impulsivity; risk‐taking, including sexual risk‐taking; antisocial traits; and coping to provide meaning in life and to alleviate stress.ConclusionsThe revised pathways model of problem gambling includes three classes of gamblers similar to the three subtypes in the original pathways model, but class 3 in the revised pathways model is distinct from class 2, showing higher levels of risk‐taking and antisocial traits and gambling motivated by a desire for meaning/purpose and/or to alleviate stress. Class 2 in the revised pathways model demonstrates high levels of childhood maltreatment as well as gambling for stress‐coping.

Criminogenic needs and intimate partner violence: Association with recidivism and implications for treatment.

The Risk-Need-Responsivity (RNR) principles of effective correctional service that are well supported in the general offending literature have less often been applied to the assessment and treatment of intimate partner violence (IPV). Well validated IPV risk assessment tools are now widely available, and IPV treatment programs that match treatment intensity to assessed risk have shown promising pre-to-post treatment effects. The present study builds on the study of RNR principles in IPV by exploring criminogenic needs and their relation to recidivism and to recently proposed treatment intensity categories derived from an IPV risk assessment tool. We reanalyzed data from 1,421 men with a police report of IPV in the original Ontario Domestic Assault Risk Assessment (ODARA) dataset, to explore the prevalence of antisocial personality traits, procriminal attitudes, substance use, poor relationships, and work/school problems and their relation to IPV recidivism and ODARA-based treatment intensity categories. Needs were present in 17% (procriminal attitudes) to 42% (substance use) of men. All needs except poor relationships were positively related to IPV recidivism; in logistic regression analyses, antisocial personality traits (OR = 1.80) and poor relationships (OR = 0.61) incrementally predicted IPV recidivism over the ODARA (OR = 1.40). Men placed in higher treatment intensity categories based on the risk assessment score had more criminogenic treatment needs. Findings support using the ODARA to select individuals for the most intensive IPV treatment, and suggest that assessing and treating criminogenic needs may improve IPV treatment outcomes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Circumstances Leading to and Characteristics of Belgian Forensic Patients Remitted to Prison

In Belgium, when forensic patients infringe their conditional release, they are remitted to prison. Given the poor conditions of detention and the current lack of alternatives, revoking conditional releases has a high impact. However, little is known about which patients are remitted to prison and why. In this article, we compared a sample of remitted patients (n = 50) to a matched control group (n = 48). We found that patients with high actuarial risk factors (as assessed by the Violent Risk Appraisal Guide, VRAG), antisocial personality disorder traits (measured by the Comprehensive Assessment of Psychopathic Personality, CAPP), and substance abuse disorder were more likely to be remitted. New acts of violence and substance abuse are the most prevalent reasons for revoking a conditional release, at 71% and 65%, respectively. The current results are independent of living conditions, and highlight the need for future research regarding this subgroup of forensic patients, who are more likely to be set back in their rehabilitative processes.

Comparing the Self-Reported Personality Disorder Traits and Childhood Traumatic Experiences Between Patients With Schizophrenia Vs. Major Depressive Disorder.

Introduction: Personality disorder (PD) and childhood traumatic experience (CTE) are well- recognized risk factors for the development of schizophrenia (SZ) and major depressive disorder (MDD). The relationship between CTE and PD is extremely close, and both conditions can affect subsequent psychiatric disorders. Little is known about the differences of these factors in patients with SZ and those with MDD.Materials and Methods: A total of 1,026 outpatients participated in the study, including 533 (51.9%) with SZ and 493 (48.1%) with MDD who were sequentially sampled. The PD traits were assessed using the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire Fourth Edition Plus (PDQ-4+). The Child Trauma Questionnaire Short Form (CTQ-SF) was used to assess childhood adversities. The scores and associations of PDQ-4+ and CTQ-SF between patients with SZ and those with MDD were compared.Results: The MDD group exhibited more PD traits and more childhood emotional neglect than the SZ group. In patients with MDD, the correlation between PD traits and CTE was significantly higher than that in patients with SZ. Patients with SZ vs. those with MDD showed different PD traits and CTE. The schizotypal and antisocial PD traits, as well as sexual abuse and physical neglect CTE, were significantly related to SZ. In contrast, the borderline, narcissistic and avoidant PD traits, and emotional abuse/neglect CTE were significantly associated with MDD.Discussion: These findings indicated a robust relationship between CTE and PD traits. Moreover, patients with SZ or MDD, have different interactive patterns. Both CTE and PD traits have the potential to be premorbid risk factors that could be targeted for preventative interventions.

Dark personality traits and job performance of employees: The mediating role of perfectionism, stress, and social media addiction

The purpose of this study was to explore the indirect and direct relationships of Big-5 and dark personality traits (i.e., extroversion, neuroticism, agreeableness, openness, conscientiousness, narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, sadism, and spitefulness) with job performance via perfectionism, stress, and social media addiction. A total of 514 private sector employees filled out a query sheet that included the assessment tools for the variables. Path analysis using a multiple mediation model indicated that neuroticism was negatively directly and indirectly related to job performance via stress and social media addiction. Machiavellianism and spitefulness were directly positively associated with job performance, and Machiavellianism-related higher social media addiction diminished the direct positive effect of Machiavellianism on job performance, indicating complex relationships. Furthermore, stress, social media addiction, and perfectionism were related to different personality traits positively and negatively. Findings of the present study suggest that an anti-social personality may promote higher job performance. However, job performance may be adversely affected by the adverse consequences relating to these traits. Professionals and firms that attempt to increase job performance should take anti-social personality traits and their complex effects on job performance into account.

Incorporating prosocial vs. antisocial trait content in Big Five measurement: Lessons from the Big Five Inventory-2 (BFI-2)

In three studies, we tried to create a novel scale within the existing Big Five Inventory 2 (BFI-2) structure to measure prosocial vs. antisocial personality traits, like the Dark Triad and honesty-humility. While our new scale converged strongly with dark personality and honesty-humility scales, we failed to establish sufficient discriminant validity vis-a-vis the existing BFI-2 agreeableness domain. Instead, we found that dark traits and honesty-humility were best measured as a facet of agreeableness that correlated strongly with other agreeableness facets and established measures of dark traits and honesty-humility. These findings suggest that honesty-humility and dark personality traits can be measured as opposite facets of a broader agreeableness-antagonism continuum when adopting the BFI-2 (Big Five) domain structure.

Lower dietary intake of magnesium is associated with more callous–unemotional traits in children

ABSTRACT Background: Although researchers increasingly recognize the role of nutrition in mental health, little research has examined specific micronutrient intake in relation to antisocial behavior and callous–unemotional (CU) traits in children. Vitamin B6 and magnesium are involved in neurochemical processes implicated in modulating antisocial behavior and CU traits. The current study examined dietary intakes of magnesium and vitamin B6 in relation to antisocial behavior and CU traits. Method : We enrolled 11–12 year old children (n = 446, mean age = 11.9 years) participating in the Healthy Brains and Behavior Study. Magnesium and vitamin B6 dietary intake were assessed with three 24-hour dietary recall interviews in children. CU traits and antisocial behavior were assessed by caregiver-reported questionnaires. We controlled for age, sex, race, total energy intake, body mass index, social adversity, ADHD or learning disability diagnosis, and internalizing behavior in all regression analyses. Results: Children with lower magnesium intake had higher levels of CU traits, controlling for covariates (β = −0.18, B = −0.0066, SE = 0.0027, p < 0.05). Vitamin B6 intake was not significantly associated with CU traits (β = 0.061, B = 0.19, SE = 0.20, p > 0.05). Neither magnesium (β = 0.014, B = 0.0020, SE = 0.0093, p > 0.05) nor vitamin B6 (β = 0.025, B = 0.33, SE = 0.70, p > 0.05) were significantly associated with antisocial behavior. Conclusions: Findings suggest that low dietary intake of magnesium may play a role in the etiology of CU traits but not general antisocial behavior. More studies are needed to determine if magnesium supplementation or diets higher in magnesium could improve CU traits in children.

Antisocial personality traits transcend species.

Antisocial personality is generally used to describe people who treat other people with callous disregard and disrespect. Although animal cruelty is diagnostic of conduct disorder, a precursor of antisocial personality in children, it is unclear whether the term antisocial also encompasses disregard and disrespect toward nonhuman animals among adults. In this study, we examined associations between three antianimal attitudes and behaviors-speciesism, hunting/fishing, and lack of sympathy for animal rights-and traits that underlie adult antisocial behavior. We found consistent links between antisocial personality traits and antianimal attitudes and behaviors in 2 samples. These effects were generally specific to traits linked to antisociality (although we also found associations with low openness), and these traits were stronger as predictors of variation among meat eaters than as predictors of differences between vegetarians and meat eaters. These results suggest that the term antisocial applies to negative attitudes and behaviors toward both humans and nonhuman animals and imply the potential value of considering antianimal attitudes and behaviors in the clinical assessment of antisocial personality. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Shame coping and psychopathy: A replication and extension in a sample of male incarcerated offenders

PurposeTo extend current knowledge on the role of emotion regulation in psychopathy, the present study sought to examine relationships between maladaptive (Attack Self, Attack Others, Avoidance, Withdrawal) and adaptive shame coping styles and psychopathic traits (interpersonal, affective, lifestyle, antisocial) in incarcerated violent offenders. MethodsA sample of 266 men incarcerated for violent offenses in Italian prisons (Mage = 37.42, SD = 11.85) completed self-reported measures of shame coping styles, psychopathic traits, and emotion dysregulation. A path analysis was conducted to examine multivariate relationships between shame coping styles and psychopathic traits while controlling for levels of emotion dysregulation. ResultsExternalizing shame coping styles (Avoidance, Attack Others) were positively related to psychopathic traits across domains. In addition, internalizing shame coping styles were negatively related to the interpersonal and affective traits (Attack Self) and the antisocial traits of psychopathy (Withdrawal). Finally, affective traits of psychopathy had a negative association with adaptive shame coping style. ConclusionsFindings highlight that, beyond general problems with regulating negative emotional states, psychopathic individuals may use maladaptive strategies to cope with shame-eliciting situations, which could at the same time protect the self from the painful experience of shame while contributing to externalizing behavior.

Children's emotion recognition and aggression: A multi-cohort longitudinal study.

Difficulty recognizing negative emotions (NEs) in children is linked to increased antisocial traits and externalizing problems. However, crucial aspects of this relation remain unclear, such as: whether NE recognition is associated with externalizing problems in general or only a particular subcomponent (i.e., aggression); whether subcomponents of NE recognition (i.e., insensitivity and misspecifications) are relatively more important; and how these relations change over the course of development. We assessed emotion recognition, overt aggression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) symptoms in an ethnically diverse sample of Canadian children (N = 150; 4-year-olds, N = 148; 8-year-olds) and followed up with them 1 year later (86.9% retention). Emotion recognition was assessed using a behavioral task and caregivers reported on children's externalizing symptoms. Children with lower NE recognition had higher initial, but not subsequent, overt aggression, even when controlling for nonaggressive externalizing symptoms (i.e., ADHD and ODD symptoms). NE recognition was not concurrently or longitudinally associated with nonaggressive externalizing symptoms. Age and gender did not moderate these findings. Both higher NE insensitivity (e.g., reporting a sad face appears neutral) and misspecifications (e.g., reporting a sad face appears angry) were significantly associated with higher concurrent overt aggression. In conclusion, both NE insensitivity and misspecifications were found to be uniquely important for children's overt aggression. These findings highlight the importance of different forms of NE recognition and differentiating between aggressive and nonaggressive externalizing problems in children.

The links between adult personality, parental discipline attitudes and harsh child punishment

Why are some adults predisposed to punish children’s misbehavior more severely than others? We examined the role of personality and attitudes about punishment on punishing children’s misbehavior. More specifically, punishment based on intentionality of the misbehavior and the child’s age. Using video stimuli of children’s misbehavior we found lower HEXACO’s Honesty-Humility, Emotionality and Agreeableness were related to favorable attitudes about physical punishment. Additionally, lower Agreeableness was indirectly related to more severe hypothetical punishment, regardless of child age or intention, through the indirect effect of favorable attitudes about physical discipline. Similar findings were found for lower Emotionality, however lower Emotionality was forgiving of the accidental misbehavior. Lower Emotionality (sentimentality and empathy) and Agreeableness (forgiveness and patience) may be at-risk traits for harsher punishment explained through favorable attitudes about physical punishment. Each aspect of the HEXACO’s antisocial traits therefore appears to have a distinct relationship with parental attitudes and hypothetical punishment, which can be informative for at-risk parenting interventions such as differentiating the risks associated with callous versus angry dispositions. Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/26904586.2021.1957056 .

The Role of Anti-Establishment Orientations During the Trump Presidency

AbstractGrowing levels of polarization and out-group hostility have become fashionable explanations for the caustic politics of the Trump presidency. However, partisan and ideological identities cannot explain popular attraction to Trump’s anti-elite and populist rhetoric, nor can polarization and sorting account for rising levels of mass identification as political independents. In light of these discrepancies, we offer an explanation for the Trump era unrelated to traditional left-right identities and ideologies: anti-establishment orientations. We argue that much of what is interpreted as an expression of partisan and ideological extremism or polarization is actually the product of a deep-seated antagonism toward the broader political establishment. We first exhibit the individual-level correlates of anti-establishment orientations, finding that people holding strong anti-establishment views exhibit relatively high levels of anti-social personality traits and distrust of others. We then show that anti-establishment orientations are more predictive than left-right orientations of beliefs in conspiracy theories regarding COVID-19, QAnon, and voter fraud. Most importantly, we demonstrate that, while anti-establishment orientations are positively related to support for Donald Trump, they are negatively related to support for Joe Biden and both major parties. In short, the toxicity emblematic of the Trump era—support for outsider candidates, belief in conspiracy theories, corrosive rhetoric, and violence—are derivative of antipathy towards the established political order, rather than a strict adherence to partisan and ideological dogma. We conclude that Trump’s most powerful and unique impact on American electoral politics is his activation, inflammation, and manipulation of preexisting anti-establishment orientations for partisan ends.

Social-Ecological Predictors of Opioid Use Among Adolescents With Histories of Substance Use Disorders.

Adolescent opioid misuse is a public health crisis, particularly among clinical populations of youth with substance misuse histories. Given the negative and often lethal consequences associated with opioid misuse among adolescents, it is essential to identify the risk and protective factors underlying early opioid misuse to inform targeted prevention efforts. Understanding the role of parental risk and protective factors is particularly paramount during the developmental stage of adolescence. Using a social-ecological framework, this study explored the associations between individual, peer, family, community, and school-level risk and protective factors and opioid use among adolescents with histories of substance use disorders (SUDs). Further, we explored the potential moderating role of poor parental monitoring in the associations between the aforementioned risk and protective factors and adolescent opioid use. Participants included 294 adolescents (Mage = 16 years; 45% female) who were recently discharged from substance use treatment, and their parents (n = 323). Results indicated that lifetime opioid use was significantly more likely among adolescents endorsing antisocial traits and those whose parents reported histories of substance abuse. Additionally, adolescents reporting more perceived availability of substances were significantly more likely to report lifetime opioid use compared to those reporting lower perceived availability of substances. Results did not indicate any significant moderation effects of parental monitoring on any associations between risk factors and lifetime opioid use. Findings generally did not support social-ecological indicators of opioid use in this high-risk population of adolescents, signaling that the social-ecological variables tested may not be salient risk factors among adolescents with SUD histories. We discuss these findings in terms of continuing care options for adolescents with SUD histories that target adolescents’ antisocial traits, perceived availability of substances, and parent histories of substance abuse, including practical implications for working with families of adolescents with SUD histories.

American Politics in Two Dimensions: Partisan and Ideological Identities versus Anti‐Establishment Orientations

AbstractContemporary political ills at the mass behavior level (e.g., outgroup aggression, conspiracy theories) are often attributed to increasing polarization and partisan tribalism. We theorize that many such problems are less the product of left‐right orientations than an orthogonal “anti‐establishment” dimension of opinion dominated by conspiracy, populist, and Manichean orientations. Using two national surveys from 2019 and 2020, we find that this dimension of opinion is correlated with several antisocial psychological traits, the acceptance of political violence, and time spent on extremist social media platforms. It is also related to support for populist candidates, such as Trump and Sanders, and beliefs in misinformation and conspiracy theories. While many inherently view politics as a conflict between left and right, others see it as a battle between “the people” and a corrupt establishment. Our findings demonstrate an urgent need to expand the traditional conceptualization of mass opinion beyond familiar left‐right identities and affective orientations.

Mental Disorders Associated with the Abuse of Synthetic Cannabinoids (Spices)

Introduction: the abuse of synthetic cannabinoids may trigger the development of mental disorders characterized by distortions of disease processes that can cause incorrect diagnosis.Objective: to study the phenomenon of the abuse of synthetic cannabinoids (Spice) as a trigger psychotic episode in psychiatric patients (with schizophrenia and personality disorders) and risk factors for developing paranoid schizophrenia.Patients and research methods: 291 men were examined: 241 with dependence on synthetic cannabinoids — 101 of them were diagnosed with personality and behavior disorders in adulthood, 140 with a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia and 50 with a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia without drug dependence.Research methods: clinicalpsychopathological, psychometric (SANS, CGI, MMPI), follow-up, statistical R (R version 3.2.4).Results: intoxication conditions caused by synthetic cannabinoids can provoke the development of psychotic episodes and be a trigger for the manifestation of schizophrenia. There are four variants of narcotic intoxication: delirious, schizophrenic, with pseudo-hallucinations, with delirium. The personalities of patients addicted to synthetic cannabinoids are similar in the prevalence of emotionally unstable, rigid, introverted, deviant traits. Patients with personality disorders, dependent on synthetic cannabinoids, differed from typical drug addicts in such patterns of behavior as disorganization, conflict, unpredictability, spontaneity, thoughtlessness of actions, impulsivity, and nonconformity. The stigmatizing signs of the schizophrenic process in patients who are dependent on synthetic cannabinoids are the symptoms of abulia–apathy of mild severity. Patients with schizophrenia, dependent on synthetic cannabinoids, differed from patients without dependence on drugs by the phenomenon of the absence of an emotional defect expressed in the expressiveness of emotions, the desire for communication.Conclusion: the phenomenon of synthetic cannabinoid abuse is a trigger of a psychotic episode in both schizophrenic patients and those with personality disorders in whom antisocial, schizoid and paranoid personality traits prevail. The abuse of synthetic cannabinoids is a risk factor for the development of paranoid schizophrenia, which differs from schizophrenia without drug dependence by a mild degree of stigmatizing symptoms of abulia–apathy and social activity during periods of short-term remissions.

Discounting, Cognitive Inflexibility, and Antisocial Traits as Predictors of Adolescent Drug Involvement.

Cognitive impairments, such as steep delay discounting, have been correlated with substance-related disorders. However, antisocial traits, cognitive inflexibility, and loss discounting have been barely considered despite having a high relationship with problematic consumption. This study aims to identify the predictive power of these variables in four types of drug use. Fifty-two adolescents (age range of 13 to 19 years) were assessed with a substance involvement test, four discounting tasks using $3,000, a card sorting test, and antisocial screening. Discriminant analysis with simultaneous estimation and varimax rotation was carried out. Function one included discounting of both losses, function two AT and CI, and function three probabilistic gains. The three functions explained 60.1% of the variance. The results show that preference for small and soon punishments and larger and unlikely punishments distinguished non-use and experimental use of moderate consumption and problematic consumption. High antisocial traits and low cognitive inflexibility distinguished experimental use groups of non-use. Risk-taking did not discriminate effectively between moderate consumption and problematic consumption. A replication of this study with a larger sample size is recommended to verify the results.

Self-Esteem and Psychopathic Traits among Undergraduate Students: A Structural Equation Modelling Approach

This present study aimed to assessthe role of self-esteem in the development of psychopathy among undergraduate students(N= 600). StructuralEquation Modelling(SEM)techniques were used to analyze the model. On the measurementlevel,allfit indices were examined and on a structural level, relationships between latent variables were assessed. To explore the model, five latent variables including three factors of psychopathic traits: egocentricity, callous and antisocial traits, and two factors of self-esteem: positive self-esteem and negative self-esteem were identified. The result indicatedthe promising role of negative self-esteem in the development of psychopathy. Results also revealed that positive self-esteem was negatively related to both antisocial traits and egocentricity. Furthermore, negativeself-esteem was found as positivelyrelated to antisocial traits of psychopathy suggestingthat those students who were high on negative self-esteem were involved in antisocial acts. Overall results indicatedthat positive self-esteem buffer against antisocial and egocentric traits of psychopathy and found as a safeguard against developing psychopathic traits whiles negative self-esteem is the promising element in the development of psychopathic traits among students.