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Psychopathic Traits in Adolescence: the Importance of Examining Components in Face Processing, Voice Processing, and Emotional Skill

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Abstract

This study examined relations among interpersonal, affective, and impulsive-irresponsible psychopathic traits, emotional capacities, and recidivism rates in 144 detained adolescents. Emotional skill was conceptualized using a range of constructs, including face and voice processing, emotional intelligence, and self-reported cognitive and affective empathy. In addition, the relation between these concepts and recidivism three years after the initial assessment was examined. Results indicated that interpersonal traits were positively associated with better facial identification of fearful faces, whereas affective traits were associated with worse facial identification of sad and happy faces as well as angry voices. Impulsive-irresponsible traits were associated with reduced emotional intelligence. Differential predictive utility of the three psychopathic traits dimensions was also evidenced. Findings highlight the need to consider the broad concept of psychopathy, but also its underlying dimensions.

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Notes

  1. Although the PCL:YV is intended for youth aged 12 to 18, one 11 year old participated in the current study (70% of the sample). Data were analyzed with and without this case. Because the pattern of results did not change when this individual was kept in the analyses reported in the current study.

  2. Given the gender differences in IRI total scores and general recidivism, skew and kurtosis were calculated separately for males and females and revealed a similar pattern. Consequently, all transformations were performed on scores from the total sample. Square root transformations normalized recidivism scores; however, square root and log transformations did not normalize the other variables. The pattern of results remained the same with transformed and untransformed data. Consequently, untransformed data are reported to improve the interpretation of the results.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, 39406, USA

    Christopher T. A. Gillen

  2. School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of the Fraser Valley, Abbotsford, BC, Canada

    Zina Lee

  3. Department of Psychology, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA

    Karen L. Salekin, Natalie A. Harrison, Abby P. Clark & Randall T. Salekin

  4. Department of Psychology, The University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC, USA

    Anne-Marie R. Iselin

  5. Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands

    Olivier F. Colins

  6. Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden

    Olivier F. Colins

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  1. Christopher T. A. Gillen
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  2. Zina Lee
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Correspondence to Christopher T. A. Gillen.

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Christopher T. A. Gillen, Zina Lee, Karen L. Salekin, Anne-Marie R. Iselin, Natalie A. Harrison, Abby P. Clark, Olivier F. Colins, and Randall T. Salekin declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Gillen, C.T.A., Lee, Z., Salekin, K.L. et al. Psychopathic Traits in Adolescence: the Importance of Examining Components in Face Processing, Voice Processing, and Emotional Skill. J Psychopathol Behav Assess 40, 50–59 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10862-018-9656-8

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