A multigroup item response theory analysis of the psychopathy checklist--revised.
Item response theory was used to investigate the functioning of the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R; R. D. Hare, 1991, 2003) in several offender populations. With male criminal offenders (N=3,847) as a reference group, differential item functioning analyses were performed for 3 comparison groups: female criminal offenders (N=1,219), male forensic psychiatric patients (N=1,246), and male criminal offenders scored from file reviews (N=2,626). Results are discussed in the context of the 2-factor, 4-facet model for the PCL-R (R. D. Hare, 2003; J. Parker, G. Sitarenios, & R. D. Hare, 2003). Application of a multigroup graded response model to all 4 groups suggests scalar equivalence may hold at least approximately for each population, although the PCL-R provided slightly greater information about the latent trait of psychopathy for male criminal offenders scored from the standard procedure.
Bolt
Daniel M
DM
Department of Educational Psychology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA. dmbolt@facstaff.wisc.edu
Hare
Robert D
RD
Vitale
Jennifer E
JE
Newman
Joseph P
JP
D000328:Adult; D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D003415:Crime / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011582:Psychological Theory; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires