Construct validity of psychopathy in a community sample: a nomological net approach.

The construct validity of psychopathy was examined within a sample of 326 male and female university students. The interpersonal circumplex served as a nomological net for the examination of convergences between psychopathy measures and convergent and discriminant validity with a measure of personality disorders was examined using a matrix approach. Measures included: (a) Antisocial scale of the Personality Assessment Inventory (Morey, 1991); (b) Self-Report Psychopathy scale (Hare, 1991); (c) Psychopathic Personality Inventory (Lilienfeld & Andrews, 1996); (d) Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire-4 (Hyler, 1994); and (e) Interpersonal Adjective Scales Revised-Big 5 (Trapnell & Wiggins, 1991). Results indicated (a) substantial convergence between psychopathy measures; (b) high convergent validity between psychopathy measures and antisocial personality disorder; and (c) high discriminant validity from other personality disorders. The prevalence of psychopathy within this non-forensic sample is also discussed.

The psychopathy checklist--screening version: an examination of criteria and subcriteria in three forensic samples.

The development and refinement of psychopathy represent a critical issue in clinical and forensic practice. During the last decade, important advances in the operationalization of psychopathy were achieved, primarily through the development of the Psychopathy Checklist (PCL) and its subsequent versions (PCL-R and PCL:SV). PCL ratings are based primarily on item descriptions or subcriteria. The current study serves to break new ground as the first systematic investigation of PCL:SV subcriteria by addressing their psychometric properties and exploring their construct and criterion-related validation. Previously unanalyzed data from three samples were integrated: female offenders, male forensic patients, and male adolescent offenders. Results largely support the use of subcriteria as homogeneous components of criteria and provide strong initial evidence of their construct validity. Results are less conclusive regarding criterion-related validity. For female offenders, they suggested the potential value of specific PCL:SV subcriteria for predicting verbal aggression. Confirmatory factor analysis provided encouraging results on the applicability of the standard two-factor model of psychopathy. However, a first-order principal axis factoring suggested further refinements in our understanding of psychopathy.

Validation of the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory for Axis II disorders: does it meet the Daubert standard?

Relevant to forensic practice, the Supreme Court in Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (1993) established the boundaries for the admissibility of scientific evidence that take into account its trustworthiness as assessed via evidentiary reliability. In conducting forensic evaluations, psychologists and other mental health professionals must be able to offer valid diagnoses, including Axis II disorders. The most widely available measure of personality disorders is the Million Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI) and its subsequent revisions (MCMI-II and MCMI-III). We address the critical question, "Do the MCMI-II and MCMI-III meet the requirements of Daubert?" Fundamental problems in the scientific validity and error rates for MCMI-III appear to preclude its admissibility under Daubert for the assessment of Axis II disorders. We address the construct validity for the MCMI and MCMI-II via a meta-analysis of 33 studies. The resulting multitrait-multimethod approach allowed us to address their convergent and discriminant validity through method effects (Marsh, 1990). With reference to Daubert, the results suggest a circumscribed use for the MCMI-II with good evidence of construct validity for Avoidant, Schizotypal, and Borderline personality disorders.

A comparison of forensic and nonforensic malingerers: a prototypical analysis of explanatory models.

Explanatory models of malingering strive to understand the primary motivation underlying attempts to feign. Rogers, Sewell, and Goldstein (1994) provided empirical support for the conceptualization of pathogenic, criminological, and adaptational models. In the current study, a prototypical analysis of 221 forensic experts results in a slightly refined formulation: the adaptational models was decomposed into its two broad dimensions (cost-benefit analysis and adversarial setting). An important findings is that the factor structure for the explanatory models remained stable when applied to both forensic and nonforensic cases. As a first investigation, significant differences were observed in prototypical cases of malingering by the category of referral (forensic or nonforensic) and by type of feigning (mental disorders, cognitive impairment, and medical syndromes). Surprisingly, the feigning of medical syndromes appeared to play a relatively prominent role in both forensic and nonforensic cases and to be influenced by the apparent adversarial context of the assessment. Finally, important gender differences were observed, especially with nonforensic prototypical cases of malingering.

Convergent validity of the personality assessment inventory: A study of emergency referrals in a correctional setting.

The Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) is a new generation multiscale inventory that is widely used in clinical settings. The current study examined its convergent validity with emergency referrals in a metropolitan correctional facility. A sample of 80 referrals completed two phases of an assessment study. As a measure of convergent validity, results on select PAI scales were compared to the Schedule of Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (SADS), the Structured Interview of Reported Symptoms (SIRS), and the Suicide Probability Scale (SPS). Overall, results indicated moderate to good convergent validity for the following: (a) screening for feigned profiles, (b) establishing clinical correlates of common disorders, and (c) evaluating the potential for suicidal ideation.

Psychopathy and recidivism among female inmates.

Despite a plethora of studies investigating psychopathy among male offenders, little is known about the applicability of this construct to female populations. Research has shown that prevalence rate, symptom presentation, and diagnostic comorbidity differ for females as compared to males. The current study is the first to examine the relationship between psychopathy and recidivism among women. Recidivism data on a sample of 78 female inmates were examined at a 1-year interval in relation to the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R), inclusion criteria for the Antisocial Personality Disorder Diagnosis from the Personality Disorder Examination (PDE), and selected scales from the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI; Antisocial and Aggression scales). The egocentricity subscale of the PAI, Factor 1 of the PCL-R, and the verbal aggression subscale of the PAI were the best predictors of future recidivism. Specific differences emerged between male and female offenders when comparing the present data with previous studies of male psychopaths.

Construct validity of psychopathy in a female offender sample: a multitrait-multimethod evaluation.

The authors examined the construct of psychopathy as applied to 103 female offenders, using the multitrait-multimethod matrix proposed by D. T. Campbell and D. W. Fiske (1959). Instruments used in the study included the following: (a) Antisocial Scale of the Personality Assessment Inventory (L. C. Morey, 1991); (b) Psychopathy Checklist--Revised (R. D. Hare, 1990); and (c) Antisocial scale of the Personality Disorder Examination (A. W. Loranger, 1988). Criterion-related validity was also evaluated to determine the relationship between psychopathy and staff ratings of aggressive and disruptive behavior within the institution. Results revealed significant convergence and divergence across the instruments supporting the construct of psychopathy in a female offender sample. The measures of psychopathy demonstrated moderate convergence with staff ratings of violence, verbal aggression, manipulativeness, lack of remorse, and noncompliance. It is interesting to note that an exploratory factor analysis of the PCL-R identified a substantially different factor structure for women than has been previously found for male psychopathy.

Predictors of adolescent psychopathy: oppositional and conduct-disordered symptoms.

Psychopathy is an important clinical construct in the evaluation and treatment of adolescent offenders. In this study, predictors of adolescent psychopathy are explored in 81 adolescents from a residential treatment program for dually diagnosed offenders. The number of aggressive conduct disorder symptoms and total rate (number x frequency of symptoms) of deceit/theft symptoms are predictive of adolescent psychopathy. Although age of onset for conduct disorder symptoms is associated with psychopathy, its interpretation appears to be confounded by gender and ethnicity correlates. Unexpectedly, adolescent psychopathy was only modestly associated with institutional infractions. Past research and current findings are summarized with reference to their forensic implications.