ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Psychopathy and low self-control are useful constructs for understanding antisociality/criminality. The triarchic model of psychopathy in particular is a recent and promising conceptualisation, composed of boldness, disinhibition, and meanness - three personality traits that have never been studied in tandem with low self-control. AIMS: To test relationships between the triarchic personality traits of boldness, disinhibition and meanness and low self-control with delinquent or antisocial acts. METHODS: In a cross-sectional, self-report study a schools' cohort of 14- to 18-year-olds (Mean 15.91 years, SD = 0.99 years) was recruited from regions in South Portugal and Lisbon, representative of the general population of this age in sex distribution and education. After parental consent, teenage volunteers in small groups completed psychopathy and self-control self-rating scales and then a questionnaire about their criminal or delinquent activities, all on one single occasion and in confidence from school staff or parents. Path analysis was used to test relationships. RESULTS: 567 young people, 256 (45%) of them girls, completed all ratings, 89% of those invited to do so. Low self-control had the strongest relationship with antisocial/criminal acts, followed by the disinhibition or meanness traits of the triarchic psychopathy construct. The boldness trait of the triarchic psychopathy construct had the weakest relationship. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that the most effective targets for intervention to prevent or limit antisocial behaviours by young people are likely to be self-control and disinhibition. Behavioural interventions that improve social skills and verbal problem-solving that encourage listening and waiting in response to environmental stimuli are likely to effect reduction of impulsive and aggressive reactions to others and so reduce conduct problems. Since disinhibition and self-control are such overlapping constructs, improvements in one area will generally facilitate improvements in the other area.
Subject(s)
Aggression , Antisocial Personality Disorder , Adolescent , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Humans , Self Report , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
As pesquisas empíricas sobre psicopatia têm enfatizado o modelo dimensional da personalidade na sua compreensão, possibilitando assim estudos na população em geral. A literatura atual tem identificado prejuízos na empatia dos indivíduos com traços de psicopatia, vista como um construto multidimensional com componentes afetivos e cognitivos, e no contágio emocional, um processo mais primitivo e filogenético. Entretanto, pesquisas sobre o tema na população em geral ainda são escassas. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a associação de traços de psicopatia, empatia e contágio emocional em população geral. A amostra foi composta por 284 participantes, com idade média de 24,6 anos (DP=8,37). Instrumentos utilizados foram o Instrumento de Autorrelato para avaliar traços de psicopatia, o Interpersonal Reactivity Index para avaliar empatia e o Emotional Contagion Scale para avaliar contágio emocional. Foram encontradas associações negativas entre empatia e traços de psicopatia, associações negativas entre contágio emocional e empatia e associações positivas entre contágio emocional e traços de psicopatia. Os resultados indicam que os traços de psicopatia estão associados com menores níveis de empatia e contágio emocional, indicando que existem características de dessensibilização emocional, e que a empatia e o contágio emocional estão fortemente associados, sugerindo serem processos complementares.
Empirical research on psychopathy has emphasized the dimensional model of personality in its understanding, thus enabling studies in the general population. Current literature has identified empathy impairments in individuals with psychopathic traits, seen as a multidimensional construct with affective and cognitive components, and in emotional contagion, a more primitive and phylogenetic process. Nevertheless, research on this subject in the general population is still scarce. This study aims to evaluate the association of psychopathic traits, empathy and emotional contagion in general population. The sample was composed of 284 participants (mean age 24.6 years; SD = 8.37). The instruments used were a self-report instrument to evaluate psychopathic traits, the Interpersonal Reactivity Index to evaluate empathy and the Emotional Contagion Scale to assess emotional contagion. Negative associations were found between empathy and psychopathic traits and between emotional contagion and empathy, such as positive associations between emotional contagion and psychopathic traits. Results show that psychopathic tendencies are associated with lower levels of empathy and emotional contagion, indicating the existence of emotional desensitization characteristics, and that empathy and emotional contagion are strongly associated, suggesting that both are complementary processes.
ABSTRACT
Este artigo de revisão de literatura examinou o construto da psicopatia associado ao desenvolvimento da personalidade em crianças e adolescentes, privilegiando as questões diagnósticas incipientes. Observou-se que a busca de uma terminologia mais apropriada para descrever as manifestações desviantes precoces, a construção e utilização de instrumentos de avaliação dirigidos à psicopatia em jovens, bem como a estabilidade dos sintomas ao longo do desenvolvimento, têm sido preocupações recorrentes nas pesquisas atuais. Pode-se afirmar que a presença de traços de psicopatia na infância e adolescência ainda suscita questionamentos, demandando por estudos empíricos que explorem aspectos evolutivos e a etiologia multifatorial do construto, preferencialmente, dentro da concepção geral dos transtornos de personalidade.(AU)
This literature review article examined the psychopathy construct associated to the development of personality in children and adolescents focusing on the incipient diagnostic issues. It was observed that the search for a more appropriate terminology for describing the early deviant manifestations, the building and using of instruments of evaluation directed to psychopathy in youngsters as well as the stability of the symptoms during growth have been recurrent issues in current researches. It can be affirmed that the presence of psychopathy traits in childhood and adolescence still raises doubts, requiring empirical studies which explore the evolutive aspects and the multifactorial etiology, preferentially within the general conception of personality disorders.(AU)
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Child , Adolescent , Personality Development , Personality Disorders/psychology , Antisocial Personality DisorderABSTRACT
Este artigo de revisão de literatura examinou o construto da psicopatia associado ao desenvolvimento da personalidade em crianças e adolescentes, privilegiando as questões diagnósticas incipientes. Observou-se que a busca de uma terminologia mais apropriada para descrever as manifestações desviantes precoces, a construção e utilização de instrumentos de avaliação dirigidos à psicopatia em jovens, bem como a estabilidade dos sintomas ao longo do desenvolvimento, têm sido preocupações recorrentes nas pesquisas atuais. Pode-se afirmar que a presença de traços de psicopatia na infância e adolescência ainda suscita questionamentos, demandando por estudos empíricos que explorem aspectos evolutivos e a etiologia multifatorial do construto, preferencialmente, dentro da concepção geral dos transtornos de personalidade.
This literature review article examined the psychopathy construct associated to the development of personality in children and adolescents focusing on the incipient diagnostic issues. It was observed that the search for a more appropriate terminology for describing the early deviant manifestations, the building and using of instruments of evaluation directed to psychopathy in youngsters as well as the stability of the symptoms during growth have been recurrent issues in current researches. It can be affirmed that the presence of psychopathy traits in childhood and adolescence still raises doubts, requiring empirical studies which explore the evolutive aspects and the multifactorial etiology, preferentially within the general conception of personality disorders.
