Assessing Psychopathic Traits and Criminal Behavior in a Young Adult Female Community Sample Using the Self‐Report Psychopathy Scale1. Issue 4 (21st April 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Declercq, Frédéric; Carter, Rachel; Neumann, Craig S.
• Is Part Of: Journal of forensic sciences. Volume 60:Issue 4(2015)
• Page Start: 928
• Page End: 935
• Publication Date: 2015-04-21
• Subjects: Medical jurisprudence -- Periodicals; Forensic sciences -- Periodicals; Forensic Medicine -- Periodicals; Gerechtelijke geneeskunde; Gerechtelijke chemie; Gerechtelijke psychiatrie; 363.2505
• DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.12783
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-1198

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="jfo12783-abs-0001"> <title>Abstract</title> <p>This study assessed psychopathic traits in a nonforensic female population (<italic>N </italic>=<italic> </italic>343). Respondents completed the Self‐Report Psychopathy Scale‐4: <italic>Short Form</italic> (SRP‐<italic>SF</italic>) and also reported on their Criminal Behavior. The results revealed relatively higher scale elevations for the Interpersonal and Lifestyle SRP‐<italic>SF</italic> facets, compared to the Affective and Antisocial facets. Also, those with a history of Criminal Behavior had significantly higher SRP‐<italic>SF</italic> facet scores on all four psychopathy domains, compared to those without such history. Consistent with a number of previous studies, the structural equation modeling results revealed good fit for the four‐factor SRP‐<italic>SF</italic> model. In addition, a super‐ordinate SRP‐<italic>SF</italic> factor, which accounted for the majority variance of all four SRP‐<italic>SF</italic> first‐order factors, also accounted for 50% of the variance in a latent Criminal Behavior factor. Taken together, findings support use of the SRP‐<italic>SF</italic> to assess psychopathic features in a moderately large sample of Belgium women.</p> </abstract>