Elemental Psychopathy Assessment Research Articles

Locating triarchic model constructs in the hierarchical structure of a comprehensive trait-based psychopathy measure: Implications for research and clinical assessment.

The triarchic model posits that distinct trait constructs of boldness, meanness, and disinhibition underlie psychopathy. The triarchic model traits are conceptualized as biobehavioral dimensions that can be assessed using different sets of indicators from alternative measurement modalities; as such, the triarchic model would hypothesize that these traits are not confined to any one item set. The present study tested whether the triarchic model dimensions would emerge from a hierarchical-structural analysis of the facet scales of the Elemental Psychopathy Assessment (EPA), an inventory designed to comprehensively index psychopathy according to the five-factor personality model. Study participants (Ns = 811, 170) completed the EPA and three different scale sets assessing the triarchic traits along with criterion measures of antisocial/externalizing behaviors. Bass-ackwards modeling of the EPA facet scales revealed a four-level structure, with factors at the third level appearing similar to the triarchic trait dimensions. An analysis in which scores for the Level-3 EPA factors were regressed onto corresponding latent-trait dimensions defined using the different triarchic scale sets revealed extremely high convergence (βs = .84-.91). The Level-3 EPA factors also evidenced validity in relation to relevant criteria, approximating and sometimes exceeding that evident for the Level-4 EPA factors. Together, these results indicate that the triarchic trait constructs are embedded in a psychopathy inventory designed to align with a general personality model and effectively predict pertinent external criteria. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The Elemental Psychopathy Assessment (EPA): Factor structure and construct validity across three German samples.

Psychopathy is deemed an important construct in forensic settings. Consequently, its theoretical basis and measurement are relevant to researchers but also to criminal justice administrators and decision-makers. The Elemental Psychopathy Assessment (EPA) is a recently developed self-report scale designed to measure psychopathic traits based on the five-factor model, one of the most comprehensive frameworks of general personality. Recent research provided initial support for the reliability and construct validity of the EPA, and exploratory factor analyses yielded a four-factor structure across different samples from the United States. Independent and confirmatory assessments of the construct validity and factor structure of the EPA are, however, pending. Across three independent, non-American samples (accumulated N = 1,803), we examined its content and factorial validity. We corroborated the proposed four-factor structure by means of both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (CFA). Item-based CFA further indicated that the EPA items adequately measure the scales that they were initially assigned to. Taken together, the EPA is a psychometrically sound assessment tool for psychopathy. Given its substantial overlap with basic units of personality, the EPA represents a valid instrument to investigate psychopathy from a dimensional, trait-based perspective. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Personality-based assessment of psychopathy: Comparison of the comprehensive assessment of psychopathic personality and the elemental psychopathy assessment.

Psychopathic personality disorder (PPD) is a widely researched construct characterized by severe dysfunction in affective, interpersonal and behavioral domains. Inconsistencies across different theoretical formulations and operationalizations have major implications for research and practice. Two separate personality-based perspectives of psychopathy have been proposed, one anchored within the influential five factor model (FFM) of personality and the comprehensive assessment of psychopathic personality (CAPP) model, which was specifically designed as an inclusive concept map of PPD. The current study evaluated the empirical overlap between the CAPP and the FFM-based models of psychopathy to determine the convergences and divergences in providing a personality-based perspective on psychopathy. Participants were undergraduate students (n = 924) who completed the CAPP-Self-Report (CAPP-SR) and the Elemental Psychopathy Assessment-Short Form (EPA-SF). Results indicated significant convergent validity associations between CAPP-SR scales and conceptually relevant EPA-SF scales (range = .30-.74; median discriminant associations range = .10-.36). Furthermore, an exploratory factor analysis supported the conceptual overlap between the CAPP-SR and EPA-SF scales as representing personality-based models of psychopathy, yielding a 4-factor structure that reflected antagonism, disinhibition, emotional stability, and narcissism. Overall, the findings support the convergence of the CAPP and FFM-based PPD models, at both a basic trait and higher order level. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Validation of the Five-Factor Model Antagonistic Triad Measure.

The personality constructs psychopathy, narcissism, and Machiavellianism, collectively described as the Dark Triad (DT), all reference socially aversive behavioral tendencies. Each construct is theorized to have features that differentiate it from others. Unfortunately, existing measures of the DT suffer from several problems. The present study compared newly developed measures of psychopathy (Super-Short Form of the Elemental Psychopathy Assessment), narcissism (Super-Short Form of the Five-Factor Narcissism Inventory), and Machiavellianism (Super-Short Form of the Five-Factor Machiavellianism Inventory [FFMI-SSF] based on the Five-Factor Model of personality)-collectively referred to as the Five-Factor Model Antagonistic Triad Measure-to existing DT inventories using a sample of undergraduate students (N = 516). As predicted, FFMI-SSF showed better divergence from measures of psychopathy and better convergence with the expert Five-Factor Model (FFM) Machiavellianism profile than did existing Machiavellianism measures. Results also demonstrated that the factors within each FFM assessment manifested differentiated correlational profiles, underscoring the utility of the multifaceted assessment of these three constructs. In addition, the use of the FFM as the basis for the new DT measures provides a pathway for the integration of DT research into the larger field of basic and clinical personality science.

Supplemental Material for The Elemental Psychopathy Assessment (EPA): Factor Structure and Construct Validity Across Three German Samples

Supplemental Material for The Elemental Psychopathy Assessment (EPA): Factor Structure and Construct Validity Across Three German Samples

Supplemental Material for Personality-Based Assessment of Psychopathy: Comparison of the Comprehensive Assessment of Psychopathic Personality and the Elemental Psychopathy Assessment

Supplemental Material for Personality-Based Assessment of Psychopathy: Comparison of the Comprehensive Assessment of Psychopathic Personality and the Elemental Psychopathy Assessment

The role of psychopathy and childhood maltreatment in homicidal ideation

PurposeTo investigate the relationship psychopathy and childhood maltreatment have on homicidal ideation. MethodsData was collected from 326 criminal justice involved individuals and analyzed using negative binomial regression. Psychopathy was measured using the Elemental Psychopathy Assessment Super-Short Form. Childhood maltreatment included physical abuse, emotional abuse, and sexual abuse. ResultsFindings showed that psychopathy is a significantly and positively related to homicidal ideation. However, only two of the three subscales of psychopathy remained significant when the construct was disaggregated. Childhood maltreatment was a significant predictor of homicidal ideation in all of the models. ConclusionOverall, the findings suggest that researchers should continue to examine not just psychopathy but also the subscales of psychopathy. Moreover, childhood maltreatment was evidenced to be an important factor for criminologists and criminal justice practitioners to be aware of.

Evaluating the Instantiation of Narcissism Components in Contemporary Measures of Psychopathy.

Narcissistic traits figure prominently in classical conceptualizations of psychopathy and bear substantial empirical overlap with components of psychopathy. Yet the degree to which various widely used self-report measures of psychopathy include relevant narcissistic content has not been evaluated, especially in relation to new, multidimensional models of narcissism. Using a large undergraduate sample (N = 432) and self- and informant-ratings of narcissism, the present study examined narcissism's instantiation in several commonly used self-report psychopathy measures. A modern conceptualization of narcissism at three levels of hierarchical organization (i.e., Trifurcated Model of Narcissism) was applied to comprehensively evaluate narcissism's instantiation in these psychopathy measures. Although narcissistic traits related to self-centered antagonism were well-instantiated across psychopathy self-report measures, narcissistic traits related to agentic extraversion were represented more modestly by most (i.e., Triarchic Psychopathy Measure, Self-Report Psychopathy Scale: Version III, Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale), but not all (i.e., Elemental Psychopathy Assessment [EPA]) psychopathy measures. Only the EPA contained substantial representation of all narcissism components. Given the theoretical and empirical overlap between psychopathy and narcissism, it behooves researchers to be aware of the degree to which psychopathy measures capture narcissistic content.

Further Validation of the Elemental Psychopathy Assessment – Short Form (EPA-SF) in a Large University Sample

The purpose of the current study was to provide further validation of the short form of the Elemental Psychopathy Assessment (EPA-SF), which was developed on the basis of a general personality model, the Five Factor Model (FFM) of personality. This study evaluated the internal structure of the EPA-SF trait scales, and examined the EPA-SF scales against two other psychopathy measures, the Triarchic Psychopathy Measure (TriPM) and the Expanded Leveson Self-Report Psychopathy Scales (E-LSRP), as well as a general FFM measure, in a sample of 924 university students. Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling generally supported internal structure for EPA-SF scales, in that the 18 EPA-SF traits generally loaded onto their four respective domain scales: Antagonism, Emotional Stability, Inhibition and Narcissism. Tucker’s congruence coefficients (.95-.99) indicated excellent replicability of the original structure. The EPA-SF total and domain scale scores also showed moderate to large correlations with TriPM, E-LSRP and FFM domain scales in a manner mostly consistent with conceptual expectations. Finally, EPA-SF trait scales were also mostly associated with their corresponding FFM trait scale counterparts. Overall, the EPA-SF scale scores showed evidence for good convergent and discriminant validity.

The network structure of psychopathic personality traits in a non-institutionalized sample

Central and peripheral traits of psychopathy remain highly debated and the contribution of positive adjustments in the psychopathy network is unclear. Indeed, the structure of psychopathic personality traits could vary across populations and settings. Using network analysis, we estimated a model based on the 18 Elemental Psychopathy Assessment facets in a large college student sample (N = 2291). We then examined the accuracy and stability of the network, and finally performed bootstrapped difference tests to determine central and peripheral traits involved in our model. Centrality indices were highly stable and emphasized the major contribution of Callousness, Dominance and Unconcern facets in the psychopathy network. Conversely, Thrill-seeking, Impersistence and Distrust facets were more peripheral in the network. Our results support that callousness is a reliable indicator of psychopathy regardless of the sample characteristics, and that some positive adjustments (i.e., boldness) could be useful to index psychopathy in non-incarcerated samples. Future research should investigate the network structure of psychopathic traits across different settings.

Psychopathy and Perception of Vulnerability to Criminal Victimization

This study replicates and extends prior research indicating that individuals with elevated psychopathic traits are better able to identify vulnerability to criminal victimization. Specifically, the current study aims to further assess this finding, examine if criminal experience aids in the assessment in vulnerability to criminal victimization, and determine if the finding generalizes to females and non-Caucasians. Through an online survey, participants (undergraduate students; n = 247) viewed several videos of people walking alone down a hallway and subsequently rated the vulnerability to criminal victimization of the depicted person. Higher levels of psychopathic traits (measured by the Elemental Psychopathy Assessment) correlated with more accurate assessments of vulnerability when males were assessing videos of males of their same race. Prior criminal behavior, however, did not relate to better accuracy, despite its relation to psychopathic traits. Results for females were not consistent with findings for males, indicating the finding may not generalize across gender. The current findings suggest one mechanism that might explain why those with elevated psychopathic traits are more likely to offend is that they are adept at identifying vulnerability. However, this was only true for males of the same race as the "victim."

Use of self-reported psychopathy assessments with older adults: An update on evaluation of their psychometrics for people over 60years.

Psychometric properties of self-report psychopathy scales have generally been established in samples of people under the age of 40. Personality traits are, however, likely to persist into old age, so it is important to understand the performance of user-friendly self-report psychopathy measures among older people. The aims of this study were to find out the extent to which self-reported scales developed for rating psychopathy have been used with people of 60years or older and the extent of any evidence that the psychometric properties of the scales vary with age. A systematic literature review, with searching limited to PubMed, EBSCOhost, and Google Scholar for the years 1990-2017, of studies of the psychometric properties of five prominent self-report psychopathy scales: the Self-Report Psychopathy Scale, Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale, Psychopathic Personality Inventory, Triarchic Psychopathy Measure, and the Elemental Psychopathy Assessment according to age of participants. Fourteen studies were found for the years 1990-2017. Age ranges in these samples are wide, with a typical mean age of approximately 30years. None of these studies focused solely on adults of 60years or older or attempted to isolate findings by specific age group. Studies of the use of self-rated psychopathy tools remain inconclusive about their psychometrics in older people. Further investigations should follow three main paths: first, deriving samples solely of older adults from the general population-to improve the generalisability of their results; second, item response theory methods should be used to detect differential item functioning between younger and older adults; finally, modifications of extant measures with and without items with potential age-bias should be tested.

Computer criminal behavior is related to psychopathy and other antisocial behavior

Psychopathy is a personality disorder that can be conceived of as a collection of traits from general models of personality. The present study examined the relations between psychopathy assessed via the Elemental Psychopathy Assessment Short Form (EPA-SF) and basic personality, antisocial behavior, and computer crime in a sample of 235 participants recruited through Amazon's Mechanical Turk (MTurk). Results indicated relatively strong support for the validity of the EPA-SF as it bore expected relations to personality, antisocial behavior, and computer crime. Results also underscored the utility of differentiating among the various components of psychopathy, and revealed the relative importance of Interpersonal Antagonism and Disinhibition and the relative insignificance of emotional stability. Finally, results suggested computer criminal behaviors, like other forms of antisocial behavior, correlated with violent and nonviolent antisocial behavior and psychopathy. Implications for the use of the EPA-SF in the assessment of psychopathy and the utility of considering computer crime as an indicator of general antisocial behavior are discussed.

Development and validation of the super-short form of the Elemental Psychopathy Assessment

PurposeCurrent measures of psychopathy are limited in a number of ways, including length, administration methods, and reliance on history of antisocial behavior. Both the full and short forms of the Elemental Psychopathy Assessment (EPA) have demonstrated convergent validity and strong relations to other psychopathy measures and external criteria empirically associated with psychopathy. MethodsIn order to create an even briefer version of the EPA-SF, the EPA was administered to two separate undergraduate samples (n=907 and n=787) and a smaller sample of male prison inmates (n=77) along with widely used measures of psychopathy and measures of Big Five personality traits and antisocial behavior. ResultsEighteen items (one per EPA subscale) were chosen to comprise the final “super-short” form. Exploratory factor analyses performed at the item level showed a three-factor solution (Antagonism, Disinhibition, and Emotional Stability). The factor scales and total score of the EPA super-short form demonstrated strong relations to other psychopathy measures and external criteria associated with psychopathy. ConclusionsThe EPA super-short form could be a promising alternative to other psychopathy measures currently used in criminology due to its brevity and basis in an empirically validated personality model.

Psychopathy, DSM-5, and a caution.

Recently developed models of psychopathy include such traits as fearlessness, boldness, and invulnerability. Section III of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) includes as well a psychopathy specifier that is modeled after these traits. The purpose of the current study was to test empirically the convergent and discriminant validity of the Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised (PPI-R), the Triarchic Psychopathy Measure (TriPM), the Elemental Psychopathy Assessment (EPA), and the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5) with respect to their relationship to one another, with traditional measures of psychopathy and antisocial personality disorder, and with a measure of the 5-factor model. Participants were 2 samples of community adults (280 and 196) who indicated that they have engaged in criminal activities. The results indicated good convergent and discriminant validity for the PPI-R, TriPM, EPA, and the PID-5 psychopathy specifiers, as well as relationships with a measure of the 5 factor model that were quite distinct from the relationships obtained for traditional measures of antisocial personality disorder and psychopathy. However, concerns are raised with respect to a reliance on reverse-coded items for the assessment of components of psychopathy.

A test of the construct validity of the Elemental Psychopathy Assessment scores in a community sample of adults.

The Elemental Psychopathy Assessment (EPA) is a relatively new self-report measure of the basic traits associated with psychopathy. Using community participants (N = 104) oversampled for the presence of psychopathic traits, we examined the convergent and criterion validity of the EPA total and factor scores (i.e., Antagonism, Emotional Stability, Disinhibition, and Narcissism) in relation to self- and informant reports of psychopathy and the general personality dimensions of the HEXACO (Honesty-Humility, Emotionality, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Openness to Experience; Ashton & Lee, 2009), as well as self-reported scores on narcissism, Machiavellianism, and externalizing behaviors (EBs) such as antisocial behavior and aggression. The EPA total and factor scores manifested substantial positive correlations with self- and informant-reported psychopathy scores and dimensions from the HEXACO, narcissism, Machiavellianism, and EBs. The patterns of these relations became clearer and more differentiated when examined via regression analyses such that the EPA factors manifested differential relations with various aspects of psychopathy (e.g., EPA Antagonism was the only unique correlate of psychopathy traits related to callousness and manipulation). Overall, the EPA is a promising assessment tool given the breadth of its coverage, the flexibility with which it can be used (total score; 4-factor scores; 18 subscale scores), and its ties to a popular model of basic personality traits.

Development of a Short Form of the Elemental Psychopathy Assessment

The Elemental Psychopathy Assessment (EPA) is a 178-item self-report measure designed to assess the basic elements of psychopathy from a Five-Factor Model perspective: Anger, Arrogance, Callousness, Coldness, Disobliged, Distrust, Dominance, Impersistence, Invulnerable, Manipulation, Opposition, Rashness, Self-Assurance, Self-Centered, Self-Contentment, Thrill-Seeking, Unconcern, and Urgency. The present article reports on the development of a short-form version of the EPA in two large undergraduate samples using item response theory. The validity of the resultant, 72-item, item response theory-derived short form is compared against the validity for the full scale in the undergraduate samples and smaller forensic sample. Results indicate that the 18 subscales of the EPA short form remain relatively reliable, possess an internal structure virtually identical to the full version, and manifest highly similar correlational profiles to a variety of criterion measures. The EPA short form is offered as a viable assessment of psychopathy when assessment time is limited. Implications of these findings are discussed.

An examination of the factor structure of the Elemental Psychopathy Assessment.

The Elemental Psychopathy Assessment (EPA) is a self-report measure designed to assess the basic elements of psychopathy from a Five-Factor Model perspective. Using two large undergraduate samples, the aim of the current study was to further validate this new measure by examining its factor structure and the relations of the factors with established psychopathy measures and externalizing behaviors (Sample 2 only). Exploratory factor analytic results were highly consistent across the two samples and generated a four-factor structure characterized by Antagonism, Emotional Stability, Disinhibition, and Narcissism. These factors converged as expected with factors from alternative self-report conceptualizations of psychopathy and externalizing behaviors. The EPA factors also provided incremental validity in the prediction of the alternative psychopathy measures and externalizing behaviors above and beyond the other psychopathy measures. The stable factor structure and relations with constructs relevant to the study of psychopathy provide further support for the EPA as a stand-alone, comprehensive assessment of psychopathic personality.

Assessing the basic traits associated with psychopathy: Development and validation of the Elemental Psychopathy Assessment.

A new self-report assessment of the basic traits of psychopathy was developed with a general trait model of personality (five-factor model [FFM]) as a framework. Scales were written to assess maladaptive variants of the 18 FFM traits that are robustly related to psychopathy across a variety of perspectives including empirical correlations, expert ratings, and translations of extant assessments. Across 3 independent undergraduate samples (N = 210-354), the Elemental Psychopathy Assessment (EPA) scales proved to be internally consistent and unidimensional, and were strongly related to the original FFM scales from which they were derived (mean convergent r = .66). The EPA scales also demonstrated substantial incremental validity in the prediction of existing psychopathy measures over their FFM counterparts. When summed to form a psychopathy total score, the EPA was substantially correlated with 3 commonly used psychopathy measures (mean r = .81). Finally, in a small male forensic sample (N = 70), the EPA was significantly correlated with scores on a widely used self-report psychopathy measure, disciplinary infractions, alcohol use, and antisocial behavior. The EPA provides an opportunity to examine psychopathy and its nomological network through smaller, more basic units of personality rather than by scales or factors that blend these elements.

Examining the Construct Validity of the Elemental Psychopathy Assessment

Lynam and colleagues recently developed a new self-report inventory for the assessment of psychopathy, the Elemental Psychopathy Assessment (EPA). Using a sample of undergraduates (N = 227), the authors examined the construct validity of the EPA by examining its correlations with self and stranger ratings on the Five-Factor Model, as well as self-reported ratings of personality disorders, social cognition, and love styles. The EPA psychopathy scores manifested expected correlations with both self and stranger ratings of the Five-Factor Model, particularly with the domains of Agreeableness and Conscientiousness, and were significantly related to various forms of personality pathology such as narcissism and antisocial personality disorders. The EPA also manifested expected relations with aggressive social cognitions. Finally, the EPA psychopathy scores were correlated with romantic love styles indicative of game playing and infidelity. The current results provide further evidence of the construct validity of the EPA as it manifests relations consistent with the nomological network of psychopathy.