title: Initial development of an implicit and explicit approach to assess psychopathy.
abstract: Four studies outline the ACL (Affective, Cognitive and Lifestyle) assessment, a new means of assessing psychopathy capturing implicit and explicit functioning. Studies 1 and 2 comprised students (Study 1, n=42, 14 men, 28 women; Study 2, n=50 men), Study 3 comprised 80 young prisoners (men) and Study 4, 40 forensic psychiatric patients (men). It was predicted that the ACL affective, cognitive and interpersonal components would positively correlate with the interpersonal factor of another measure of psychopathy (PCL-SV), whereas the ACL Lifestyle component would correlate with the criminal history/lifestyle component of the PCL-SV. Evidence for internal reliability for the ACL was noted. The ACL correlated as expected with the PCL-SV although variation across samples was noted. Implicit affect and specific aspects of cognition positively correlated with increased psychopathy on the PCL-SV. Implicit affect correlated differently across samples. Findings are discussed regarding implications. Directions for future research are indicated.
authors.affiliation: University of Central Lancashire and Ashworth Research Centre, Mersey Care NHS Trust, UK. Electronic address: JLIreland@uclan.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Jane L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Ireland
authors.affiliation: University of Central Lancashire and Ashworth Research Centre, Mersey Care NHS Trust, UK; Coastal Child and Adult Therapeutic Services, Poulton le-Flyde, UK. Electronic address: CAIreland@uclan.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Carol A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Ireland
authors.affiliation: University of Leicester and Ashworth Research Centre, Mersey Care NHS Trust, UK. Electronic address: ml389@leicester.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.affiliation: HM Prison Service, UK.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: Coastal Child and Adult Therapeutic Services, Poulton le-Flyde, UK.
authors.forename: Sam
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Keeley
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D000367:Age Factors; D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D000066479:Criminal Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D010552:Personality Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011329:Prisoners / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000523:psychology*; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012016:Reference Values; D012737:Sex Factors; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: ACL; Cognition and affect; Measure development; Psychopathy