Interpersonal and affective dimensions of psychopathic traits in adolescents: development and validation of a self-report instrument.
We report the development and psychometric evaluations of a self-report instrument designed to screen for psychopathic traits among mainstream community adolescents. Tests of item functioning were initially conducted with 26 adolescents. In a second study the new instrument was administered to 150 high school adolescents, 73 of who had school records of suspension for antisocial behavior. Exploratory factor analysis yielded a 4-factor structure (Impulsivity α = 0.73, Self-Centredness α = 0.70, Callous-Unemotional α = 0.69, and Manipulativeness α = 0.83). In a third study involving 328 high school adolescents, 130 with records of suspension for antisocial behavior, competing measurement models were evaluated using confirmatory factor analysis. The superiority of a measurement model represented by four correlated factors was supported, and this model was invariant across gender and age. The findings provide researchers and clinicians with a psychometrically strong, self-report instrument and a greater understanding of psychopathic traits in mainstream adolescents.
Graduate School of Education, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, 6009, Perth, WA, Australia. Stephen.houghton@uwa.edu.au
Stephen
S
Houghton
Simon C
SC
Hunter
Umneea
U
Khan
Carol
C
Tan
D000293:Adolescent; D000339:Affect; D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D019955:Conduct Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D059026:Diagnostic Self Evaluation; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D010551:Personality; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D057566:Self Report; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires