The latent structure of psychopathy: a taxometric investigation of the Psychopathy Checklist Revised in a heterogeneous sample of male prison inmates.
A taxometric analysis of the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) is conducted on a group of 409 male maximum-, medium-, and minimum-security federal prison inmates using the four PCL-R facet scores (interpersonal, affective, impulsive lifestyle, and antisocial behavior) as indicators. Results obtained from three quasi-independent taxometric procedures-mean above minus below a cut, maximum eigenvalue, and latent mode factor analysis-reveal consistent support for a dimensional interpretation of the psychopathy concept in a moderately heterogeneous sample of participants. On the basis of these results, it is concluded that psychopathy falls along a continuum and that high and low scores on the PCL-R reflect quantitative differences in degree rather than qualitative differences in kind.
Walters
Glenn D
GD
Psychology Services, Federal Correctional Institution-Schuylkill, Minersville, PA 17954, USA.
Duncan
Scott A
SA
Mitchell-Perez
Kari
K
D000328:Adult; D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D002965:Classification; D003415:Crime / Q000523:psychology*; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011329:Prisoners / Q000523:psychology*; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000145:classification*; D011599:Psychopathology / Q000145:classification*; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology*