Are all psychopathic individuals low-anxious?
Theorists commonly assume that true or primary psychopathic individuals experience little anxiety or neurotic conflict. This study examined the relationship between psychopathy and anxiety in 104 Caucasian and 113 African American incarcerated men using the Psychopathy Checklist--Revised (PCL-R; R. D. Hare, 1991) and multiple self-report measures to tap diverse interpretations of the anxiety construct (i.e., neuroticism, traditional definitions of anxiety, and fear). Analyses involving zero-order, semipartial, and point-biserial correlations indicate that PCL-R psychopathy and the anxiety construct are essentially independent. These findings suggest that either (a) the traditional belief that all psychopathic individuals are low-anxious is incorrect or (b) the PCL-R is not an adequate measure of primary psychopathy.
Schmitt
W A
WA
Department of Psychology, Brogden Building, University of Wisconsin-Madison 53706, USA. wschmitt@students.wisc.edu
Newman
J P
JP
D000328:Adult; D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology; D001007:Anxiety / Q000150:complications*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009497:Neurotic Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D011329:Prisoners / Q000523:psychology*; D012044:Regression Analysis