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Interpersonal and Affective Dimensions of Psychopathic Traits in Adolescents: Development and Validation of a Self-Report Instrument

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Abstract

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.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Education, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, 6009, Perth, WA, Australia

    Stephen Houghton & Umneea Khan

  2. School of Psychological Sciences and Health, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland, UK

    Simon C. Hunter

  3. National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore

    Carol Tan

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  1. Stephen Houghton
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Correspondence to Stephen Houghton.

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Houghton, S., Hunter, S.C., Khan, U. et al. Interpersonal and Affective Dimensions of Psychopathic Traits in Adolescents: Development and Validation of a Self-Report Instrument. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 44, 51–69 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-012-0311-4

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