Lifestyle Facets Research Articles

Psychopathy and treatment outcome: Results from a sexual violence reduction program.

The present study examined the association of psychopathy, measured by the Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R; Hare, 1991, 2003), to sexual offender treatment completion, change, and recidivism in a Canadian sample of 302 treated sexual offenders followed up in the community 17.6 years post release. Sexual violence risk and treatment change was evaluated via the Violence Risk Scale-Sexual Offense version (Wong, Olver, Nicholaichuk, & Gordon, 2003-2017), and general violence risk via the Sex Offender Risk Appraisal Guide (Quinsey, Harris, Rice, & Cormier, 1998). High-psychopathy men had significantly higher rates of sexual offender treatment noncompletion (30%) than low-psychopathy men (6%), although they did not evidence significantly less therapeutic change. The Affective facet of the PCL-R uniquely, significantly predicted decreased therapeutic progress, and along with the Lifestyle facet, it predicted treatment noncompletion. Examination of recidivism outcomes revealed that treatment completion in and of itself was not significantly associated with decreased sexual or violent recidivism among psychopathic offenders; however, therapeutic change, reflecting risk reduction, was significantly associated with decreased sexual and violent recidivism after controlling for baseline risk and PCL-R score. Results of survival analysis indicated that a subgroup of high-risk psychopathic men who made substantial treatment gains had lower trajectories of sexual and violent recidivism over the follow-up period relative to other high-risk men who demonstrated fewer treatment benefits. The issue of therapeutic pessimism with implications for the treatment and retention of high-psychopathy sexual offenders, per the two-component model, is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Psychopathic Traits and Deviant Sexual Interests: The Moderating Role of Gender

The present study examined associations between psychopathic traits and deviant sexual interests across gender in a large community sample (N = 429, 24% men). Correlation analyses supported the positive link between psychopathic traits and deviant sexual interests. Regression analyses indicated that the unique variance in the antisocial facet of psychopathy predicted all six deviant sexual interests. The interpersonal facet predicted voyeuristic and exhibitionistic interests, whereas the affective facet predicted pedophilic interests. Moderation analyses revealed that gender moderated most of the relations between the antisocial facet of psychopathy and deviant sexual interests, such that those positive associations were stronger among women. On the contrary, the associations between the interpersonal facet and voyeuristic interests, as well as between the lifestyle facet and sadistic interests, were stronger among men. Findings appear to suggest that deviant sexual interests represent a domain in which the manifestation of psychopathic traits may differ across gender. These findings emphasize the relevance of psychopathic traits for the understanding and risk assessment of sexual deviance, while suggesting the need for gender-sensitive considerations.

Difficulties in emotion regulation and psychopathic traits in violent offenders

PurposeThe present study aimed to advance our understanding of the relevance of emotion dysregulation (ED) for psychopathy. MethodsLatent Profile Analysis (LPA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) were employed to examine person- and variable-centered associations between ED domains and psychopathic traits in a moderately-large (N = 268) sample of violent male offenders. ResultsLPA results indicated a 3-class solution with offenders most accurately classified based on ED levels (low, medium, high) across domains. The three ED subgroups revealed linear positive associations with psychopathy total, affective, and lifestyle facet scores, such that elevated levels of these traits were found in subgroups with greater ED. A similar linear trend emerged for the antisocial – but not interpersonal – facet, in-line with recent studies showing positive associations between executive functioning and interpersonal features of psychopathy. In SEM analyses, a latent ED factor positively predicted a super-ordinate psychopathy factor, controlling for psychopathological distress. ConclusionsTaken together, current findings support the notion that ED involves broad difficulties across emotion regulation domains, which vary by degree rather than in kind, and that these difficulties have linear positive relations with psychopathic traits among violent offenders.

Investigating the Components of Psychopathic Traits in Youth Offenders

Despite widespread acceptance of the importance of psychopathic traits in youth, the relative importance of different components of psychopathy remains controversial. This study was conducted to examine whether the interpersonal and lifestyle facets of psychopathy as measured with a valid clinical measure of psychopathic traits contribute to predicting relevant external criteria on top of the contributions of the affective facet. To address this issue, we conducted multiple regressions predicting antisocial behavior, exposure to violence, and psychopathology in a sample of 225 incarcerated adolescents. Results indicated that ratings on the affective component of psychopathy were important in helping to explain variance in many of the external criterion variables but that ratings on the interpersonal and lifestyle facets also helped to explain unique variance in a range of criteria including violent and non-violent crime, exposure to violence, impulsivity, and anger expression. These studies suggest that multiple components of psychopathy are likely to be important both in predicting real world outcomes and in understanding mechanisms involved in the development and manifestation of these traits.

White matter correlates of psychopathic traits in a female community sample.

Psychopathy comprises interpersonal, affective, lifestyle and antisocial facets that vary dimensionally in the population and are associated with criminal offending and adverse psychosocial outcomes. Evidence associating these facets with white matter microstructure of the uncinate fasciculus and the cingulum tracts is inconsistent and derives principally from studies of male offenders. In a sample of 99 young women presenting a range of scores on the Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version, we used Diffusion Tensor Imaging, tractography and Tract-Based Spatial Statistics to investigate microstructure across the brain and of the uncinate fasciculus and cingulum. Right uncinate fasciculus microstructure was negatively associated with the interpersonal facet, while cingulum integrity was not associated with any facet of psychopathy. Whole-brain analyses revealed that both affective and lifestyle facets were negatively correlated with white matter microstructure adjacent to the fusiform gyrus, and the interpersonal facet correlated negatively with the integrity of the fornix. Findings survived adjustment for the other facet scores, and age, verbal and performance IQ. A similar negative association between the interpersonal facet and uncinate fasciculus integrity was previously observed in male offenders. Thus, previous evidence showing that psychopathic traits are associated with functional and structural abnormalities within limbic networks may also apply to females.

Working Alliance and Psychopathy: Linkages to Treatment Outcome in a Sample of Treated Sexual Offenders.

The present study examined the working alliance, as measured by the full-length Working Alliance Inventory (WAI), and its association with psychopathy, treatment completion, and recidivism in a sample of 111 incarcerated adult male sexual offenders. The men completed the WAI 3 months into their treatment program, while psychopathy was measured via file-based ratings of the Hare's Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R), and outcome data were collected via the Canadian Police Information Centre. The majority (85%) of high PCL-R scoring men (PCL-R 25+) successfully completed their treatment program, and by and large, the men demonstrated strong working alliances with their primary therapists. The WAI scale components showed differential associations with the structural features of psychopathy. Specifically, the Affective facet was significantly associated with weaker Bond scores, while the Lifestyle facet was associated with lower Task scores; these results were upheld after controlling for scores on the other PCL-R facets. Strength of alliance, however, was not significantly associated with any recidivism outcomes, irrespective of controls for psychopathy. Implications for the treatment of offenders with high levels of psychopathic traits are discussed in light of extant findings and unique features of the therapeutic alliance.

Response inhibition in the parametric Go/No-Go task in psychopathic offenders

Previous research on response inhibition in psychopaths has failed to find consistent evidence for aberrant inhibitory ability, despite strong expectations to the contrary. However, previous examinations have utilised inhibition paradigms that suffer from critical shortcomings, such as a lack of ecological validity and overly simplistic response criteria. To assess inhibition under conditions close to the demands of everyday settings, the current study employs a parametric Go/No-go task in male offenders (n77). Additionally, rather than treating psychopathy as a categorical descriptor, a dimensional approach is taken to assess the relationship between individual psychopathic traits and response inhibition performance. Results indicate significant relationships between response inhibition and individual facets of psychopathy as measured by the Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version. A positive relationship was found between inhibitory ability and interpersonal aspects of psychopathy, reflecting an enhancement of inhibitory functioning for those scoring high on this facet. In addition, a negative association was found between psychopathic lifestyle characteristics and response inhibition. Whereas the negative association mirrors the conceptualisation of the lifestyle facet, the positive association between interpersonal psychopathic aspects and response inhibition might reflect a propensity for adaptive behaviour that enables psychopaths to adequately manipulate their victims and mask their true nature.

Modeling Impulsivity in Forensic Patients: A Three-Dimensional Model of Impulsivity.

The current study investigated whether a multidimensional model could underlie impulsivity and its associations with various disorders in a forensic sample. Data were available from self-report and behavioral impulsivity instruments of 87 forensic patients. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to derive a dimensional impulsivity model, and the relationship between and possible predictive validity of impulsivity dimensions for psychopathology was investigated using product moment correlations and regression analysis. A 3-dimensional model of impulsivity was derived, with factors labeled impulsive decision making, sensation seeking, and response inhibition. Impulsive decision making was a predictor for a history of drug dependence, the impulsive lifestyle facet of psychopathy, and antisocial personality disorder. Sensation seeking was not related to any psychopathology. Inadequate response inhibition was a predictor for drug dependence, psychopathy, and antisocial personality disorder. Given the importance of the concept of impulsivity with regard to forensic risk assessment, the current results replicated earlier impulsivity models and imply that impulsivity is a crucial target for diagnosis and interventions and underlines the importance to consider impulsivity as a multidimensional construct.

Neurobiological correlates of empathy processing

Previous research on response inhibition in psychopaths has failed to find consistent evidence for aberrant inhibitory ability, despite strong expectations to the contrary. However, previous examinations have utilised inhibition paradigms that suffer from critical shortcomings, such as a lack of ecological validity and overly simplistic response criteria. To assess inhibition under conditions close to the demands of everyday settings, the current study employs a parametric Go/No-go task in male offenders (n77). Additionally, rather than treating psychopathy as a categorical descriptor, a dimensional approach is taken to assess the relationship between individual psychopathic traits and response inhibition performance. Results indicate significant relationships between response inhibition and individual facets of psychopathy as measured by the Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version. A positive relationship was found between inhibitory ability and interpersonal aspects of psychopathy, reflecting an enhancement of inhibitory functioning for those scoring high on this facet. In addition, a negative association was found between psychopathic lifestyle characteristics and response inhibition. Whereas the negative association mirrors the conceptualisation of the lifestyle facet, the positive association between interpersonal psychopathic aspects and response inhibition might reflect a propensity for adaptive behaviour that enables psychopaths to adequately manipulate their victims and mask their true nature.

Access, Place and Australian Live Music

The role of place in cultivating artistic practice, communities and audiences is well established and the economic, social and cultural benefits that flow from this are becoming better understood. By contrast, the factors impacting and influencing access to these places is poorly theorised. This paper identifies and examines these factors as they apply to live music in Australia, through a qualitative survey of live music patrons and venues. We compare the themes identified from our data with existing theories of access in the arts, with a particular focus on the ways in which place-based music scenes may encourage or exclude participation. We address the question of how access affects participation within these scenes, as well as how access might be improved.

Developmental Antecedents of the Facets of Psychopathy: The Role of Multiple Abuse Experiences

The etiology of psychopathy remains poorly understood, despite the wealth of studies focused on examining this serious and complex personality disorder. The present study explored the contribution of psychological, physical, and sexual abuse in predicting PCL-R facet and total scores. The study was conducted on a sample of 397 adult male sexual offenders, using archival ratings and developmental data gathered with a self-report inventory, the Multidimensional Assessment of Sex and Aggression (the MASA). All types of abuse covaried with the total PCL-R score, but the kinds of abuse were differentially associated with the facet scores. Sexual abuse was positively associated with Interpersonal and Lifestyle facet scores, whereas physical abuse was associated with Lifestyle and Antisocial facets. Psychological abuse covaried with the Affective facet, but the relation was negative. The results of the structural equation model underscored the significance of physical abuse, above and beyond psychological and sexual abuse.

Stability and predictors of psychopathic traits from mid-adolescence through early adulthood.

High levels of psychopathic traits in youth are associated with multiple negative outcomes including substance misuse, aggressive behavior, and criminality. Evidence regarding stability of psychopathic traits is contradictory. No previous study has examined long-term stability of psychopathic traits assessed with validated clinical measures. The present study examined the stability of psychopathic traits from mid-adolescence to early adulthood and explored adolescent factors that predicted psychopathic traits five years later. The sample included 99 women and 81 men who had consulted a clinic for substance misuse in adolescence. At an average age of 16.8 years, the adolescents were assessed using the Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version (PCL: YV) and five years later using the PCL-Revised (PCL-R). Additionally, extensive clinical assessments of the adolescents and their parents were completed in mid-adolescence. Among both females and males, moderate to high rank-order stability was observed for total PCL and facet scores. Among both females and males, there was a decrease in the mean total PCL score, interpersonal facet score, affective facet score, and lifestyle facet score. However, the great majority of females and males showed no change in psychopathy scores over the five-year period as indicated by the Reliable Change Index. Despite the measures of multiple family and individual factors in adolescence, only aggressive behavior and male sex predicted PCL-R total scores in early adulthood after taking account of PCL:YV scores. Taken together, these results from a sample who engaged in antisocial behavior in adolescence suggest that factors promoting high psychopathy scores act early in life.

A two-dimensional model of psychopathy and antisocial behavior: A multi-sample investigation using items from the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a subset of items from the 20-item Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) could be used to construct a two-dimensional model (fearlessness, disinhibition) of adult temperament relevant to psychopathy and antisocial behavior. This theory-guided model was created by combining six items from the interpersonal and affective facets of the PCL-R into a single dimension (fearlessness) and taking four items from the lifestyle facet and forming a second dimension (disinhibition). A confirmatory factor analysis performed on a sample of 2753 adult offenders and forensic patients was used to compare the two-dimensional model to several alternate models. The results indicated that the two-dimensional model achieved a significantly better fit than a one-dimensional model and demonstrated better absolute fit than the traditional two-, three-, and four-factor models and the recently proposed triarchic model of psychopathy. In addition, latent factor scores derived from both dimensions of the two-dimensional model displayed incremental validity relative to Facet 4 (antisocial) of the PCL-R in predicting subsequent offending. These findings indicate that a theoretically derived two-dimensional model of temperament may be of assistance in clarifying psychopathy and other crime-related constructs.

Behavior on the ward of personality-disordered inpatients and chronically psychotic inpatients during a three-year stay in a Dutch forensic psychiatric hospital

To gain insight into the behavior of a group of personality-disordered patients and a group of chronically psychotic patients during their stay in a Dutch forensic psychiatric hospital, data on these patients were collected biannually for seven years. Three aspects of the patients’ behavior were examined: the prediction of institutional behavior shortly after admission, changes in the patients’ behavior on the ward during their stay in hospital, and the prediction of these changes. In the personality-disordered patients, observed irritation/anger and aggressive behavior on the ward turned out to be positively related to psychopathy, the PCL-R lifestyle and antisocial facets, and the neuroticism domain. A positive relationship was also found between aggressive behavior on the ward and trait anger. In the chronically psychotic patients, a positive relationship was found between irritation/anger and the PCL-R interpersonal and lifestyle facet. During a stay of three years, the aggressive behavior of both patient subgroups, which was already low at the start, did not decrease further, but their prosocial behavior increased. In the personality-disordered patients, relatively high scores on the antisocial facet of the PCL-R indicated an increase in prosocial behavior, whereas in the chronically psychotic patients no relationship was found between any PCL-R facet and behavior change. Effect studies on treatment programs for forensic psychiatric inpatients have to contend with the problem of a low base rate of institutional aggression. Therefore, we advise that such studies focus not only on a decrease in negative behaviors but also on an increase in positive behaviors.

Behind the Confession: Relating False Confession, Interrogative Compliance, Personality Traits, and Psychopathy

The present study further supports the established notion that personality traits contribute to the phenomenon of false confessions and compliance in an interrogative setting. Furthermore, the study provides an investigation into the more recent interest in the potential effect of psychopathic traits in this context. A sample of university students (N = 607) completed questionnaires measuring psychopathic traits, interrogative compliance, and the big five personality factors. Of these, only 4.9% (n=30) claimed to have falsely confessed to an academic or criminal offense, with no participant taking the blame for both types of offense. Across measures the big five personality traits were the strongest predictors of compliance. The five personality traits accounted for 17.9 % of the total variance in compliance, with neuroticism being the strongest predictor, followed by openness and agreeableness. Psychopathy accounted for 3.3% of variance, with the lifestyle facet being the only significant predictor. After controlling for the big five personality factors, psychopathy only accounted for a small percentage of interrogative compliance, indicating that interrogators should take into account a person’s personality traits during the interrogation.

A Meta-Analysis Exploring the Relationship Between Psychopathy and Instrumental Versus Reactive Violence

The present meta-analysis explored the relationship between psychopathy and instrumental and reactive violence with a focus on factor and facet scores. A total of 53 studies (reporting on 55 unique samples, N = 8,753) from both published and unpublished sources were included. Results from random-effects analyses indicated moderate and significant relationships between psychopathy and both instrumental and reactive violence. There was some evidence that the Interpersonal facet was more important for instrumental violence, while Factor 2 (social deviance) was more important for reactive violence. The Lifestyle facet appeared important in explaining both violent outcomes. Effect sizes were significantly smaller for clinical rating scales compared with informant and self-report scales. Significant between-study variability was partly explained by mean age of the sample and type of outcome measure. The current findings do not support the conclusion that psychopathy is more related to instrumental violence as opposed to reactive violence.

Do Psychopathic Traits Assessed in Mid-Adolescence Predict Mental Health, Psychosocial, and Antisocial, Including Criminal Outcomes, over the Subsequent 5 Years?

To determine whether psychopathic traits assessed in mid-adolescence predicted mental health, psychosocial, and antisocial (including criminal) outcomes 5 years later and would thereby provide advantages over diagnosing conduct disorder (CD). Eighty-six women and 61 men were assessed in mid-adolescence when they first contacted a clinic for substance misuse and were reassessed 5 years later. Assessments in adolescence include the Psychopathy Checklist-Youth Version (PCL-YV), and depending on their age, either the Kiddie-Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Aged Children or the Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (SCID). Assessments in early adulthood included the SCID, self-reports of psychosocial functioning, aggressive behaviour, and criminality and official criminal records. The antisocial facet score positively predicted the number of anxiety symptoms and likelihood of receiving treatment for substance use disorders (SUDs). Lifestyle and antisocial facet scores negatively predicted Global Assessment of Functioning scores. By contrast, the interpersonal score and male sex independently and positively predicted the number of months worked or studied, as did the interaction of Lifestyle × Sex indicating that among men, but not women, an increase in lifestyle facet score was associated with less time worked or studied. Interpersonal and antisocial scores positively predicted school drop-out. Antisocial facet scores predicted the number of symptoms of antisocial personality disorder, alcohol and SUDs, and violent and nonviolent criminality but much more strongly among males than females. Predictions from numbers of CD symptoms were similar. Psychopathic traits among adolescents who misuse substances predict an array of outcomes over the subsequent 5 years. Information on the levels of these traits may be useful for planning treatment.

Facets of psychopathy in relation to potentially traumatic events and posttraumatic stress disorder among female prisoners: The mediating role of borderline personality disorder traits.

Despite the high prevalence of trauma exposure in female prisoners, few studies have examined the link between psychopathy and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-or the potential mediating role of borderline personality disorder traits. Using a sample of incarcerated women, we identified differential associations across facets of psychopathy, as assessed via the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R; Hare, 2003), with potentially traumatic events (PTE) and symptoms of PTSD. Specifically, the Interpersonal and Affective facets were unrelated to both PTE and PTSD, while the Lifestyle and Antisocial facets were each associated with PTE and the Antisocial facet was uniquely associated with PTSD symptoms. Borderline personality disorder traits fully accounted for the association between the Antisocial facet and both PTE and PTSD, while the Lifestyle facet contributed incrementally to the prediction of PTE. The findings clarify linkages among psychopathy, trauma, PTSD, and borderline personality disorder traits, and extend our understanding of the clinical presentation of psychopathy in women.

The neural signatures of distinct psychopathic traits

Recent studies suggest that psychopathy may be associated with dysfunction in the neural circuitry supporting both threat- and reward-related processes. However, these studies have involved small samples and often focused on extreme groups. Thus, it is unclear to what extent current findings may generalize to psychopathic traits in the general population. Furthermore, no studies have systematically and simultaneously assessed associations between distinct psychopathy facets and both threat- and reward-related brain function in the same sample of participants. Here, we examined the relationship between threat-related amygdala reactivity and reward-related ventral striatum (VS) reactivity and variation in four facets of self-reported psychopathy in a sample of 200 young adults. Path models indicated that amygdala reactivity to fearful facial expressions is negatively associated with the interpersonal facet of psychopathy, whereas amygdala reactivity to angry facial expressions is positively associated with the lifestyle facet. Furthermore, these models revealed that differential VS reactivity to positive versus negative feedback is negatively associated with the lifestyle facet. There was suggestive evidence for gender-specific patterns of association between brain function and psychopathy facets. Our findings are the first to document differential associations between both threat- and reward-related neural processes and distinct facets of psychopathy and thus provide a more comprehensive picture of the pattern of neural vulnerabilities that may predispose to maladaptive outcomes associated with psychopathy.

Differential Associations Between Psychopathy Dimensions, Types of Aggression, and Response Inhibition

Findings on executive functioning in psychopathy are inconsistent. Different associations between psychopathy dimensions and executive functioning might explain contradicting findings. This study examined the role of psychopathy dimensions and types of aggression in response inhibition among 117 male adolescents (53 antisocial delinquents and 64 controls). Participants completed a self-report measure of aggression and a GoNoGo task. Psychopathy dimensions were assessed using the Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version. Although high scores on the antisocial dimension and reactive aggression were associated with poor response inhibition, the affective-interpersonal dimension, proactive aggression, and verbal intelligence (IQ) were related to better response inhibition (two-factor model). Associations with the affective-interpersonal dimensions did not reach significance. Exploratory analyses showed that affective and antisocial facets accounted for the obtained opposing associations of the affective-interpersonal and antisocial psychopathy dimensions with response inhibition. The interpersonal and lifestyle facets (four-facet model) were unrelated to response inhibition. Results could not be explained by Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Findings suggest differential associations between the psychopathy dimensions, types of aggression, and response inhibition. Therefore, a dimensional approach to psychopathy and related concepts, such as aggression, might strongly improve diagnostic procedures. Global scores could mask important differential associations.