To tell or not to tell? Psychopathic traits and response integrity in youth delinquency surveys.
BACKGROUND
Individuals with high psychopathy scores are capable of providing valid self-reports on their own personality traits, but there have been no empirical studies of the effect of psychopathic features on responding to sensitive survey questions about specific behaviours.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study is to investigate any relationship between facets of psychopathy and participants' willingness to report antisocial acts in youth delinquency surveys, controlling for demographic variables known to be associated with response integrity.


METHODS
In a nationally representative sample of 4,855 Finnish mainstream adolescents aged 15-16, honesty of responding was assessed through direct response integrity questions related to violence, property crime and drug use. Psychopathy was measured with the Antisocial Process Screening Device - Self Report (APSD-SR).


RESULTS
Callous-unemotional traits and, to a lesser degree, narcissistic features were associated with a dishonest response style, although the effect size was modest.


CONCLUSIONS
Although psychopathy does not seem to influence the capability and willingness to report personality traits accurately, it may be associated with endorsing dishonest responses to questions about specific behaviours that have possible repercussions. Our findings suggest that previously observed associations between adolescents' self-reported delinquent behaviour and psychopathic traits may be underestimations of the strength of the effects.
Forensic Psychiatric Center for Children and Adolescents, Children's Hospital, Child Psychiatry, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.|Institute of Behavioural Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Taina
T
Laajasalo
Children's Hospital, Child Psychiatry, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.|Clinical Institute, Clinic for Children and Adolescents, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Eeva T
ET
Aronen
Children's Hospital, Child Psychiatry, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.|Clinical Institute, Clinic for Children and Adolescents, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Suvi
S
Saukkonen
Criminological Unit, National Research Institute of Legal Policy, Helsinki, Finland.
Venla
V
Salmi
Criminological Unit, National Research Institute of Legal Policy, Helsinki, Finland.
Mikko
M
Aaltonen
Criminological Unit, National Research Institute of Legal Policy, Helsinki, Finland.
Janne
J
Kivivuori
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D003415:Crime / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D007604:Juvenile Delinquency / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D057566:Self Report; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology