On the operationalization of psychopathy: further support for a three-faceted personality oriented model.
OBJECTIVE
This study is an attempt to compare two alternative models of psychopathy (PCL-R); (i) the traditional 17-item two-factor model where the first factor describes a deceitful, manipulative and callous, unemotional dimension and the second factor describes the impulsive, irresponsible and antisocial behavioral lifestyle dimension; and (ii) a recently proposed 13-item three-factor model involving an interpersonal facet, an affective facet and a behavioral facet.


METHODS
Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of PCL-R scores on a sample of 293 adult male violent offenders were conducted.


RESULTS
The results of the exploratory factor analysis showed that the 13 items yielded three easily interpretable factors: an interpersonal factor, an affective factor and a behavioral/lifestyle factor. Through confirmatory factor analysis we showed that this model had a significantly closer fit to the data than the classical 17-item, two-factor model of the PCL-R.


CONCLUSIONS
The study supports the three-faceted model of psychopathy.
Johansson
P
P
Center of Developmental Research, Department of Social Sciences, Orebro University, Sweden.
Andershed
H
H
Kerr
M
M
Levander
S
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index