Introduction and validation of Psychopathic Personality Traits Scale (PPTS) in a large prison sample. (September 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Boduszek, Daniel; Debowska, Agata; Dhingra, Katie; DeLisi, Matt
• Is Part Of: Journal of criminal justice. Volume 46(2016)
• Page Start: 9
• Page End: 17
• Publication Date: 2016-09
• Subjects: Psychopathy -- Psychopathic Personality Traits Scale (PPTS) -- Prison population -- Multitrait-multimethod analysis; Criminal justice, Administration of -- Periodicals; Justice pénale -- Administration -- Périodiques; 364.05
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2016.02.004
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0047-2352

Abstract

Abstract: Purpose: The aim of this study was to create and validate a brief self-report scale of psychopathic personality traits for research purposes which would grasp the essence of a psychopathic personality, regardless of respondents' age, gender, cultural background, and criminal history. Methods: The Psychopathic Personality Traits Scale (PPTS), the Measure of Criminal Social Identity, Self-Esteem Measure for Criminals, the Child Sexual Abuse Myth Scale, Attitudes Toward Male Sexual Dating Violence, and Lie Scale were administered to 1794 prisoners systematically sampled from 10 maximum- and medium-security prisons. Dimensionality and construct validity of the PPTS was investigated using traditional CFA techniques, along with confirmatory bifactor analysis and multitrait-multimethod (MTMM) modeling. Seven alternative models of the PPTS were specified and tested using Mplus with WLSMV estimation. Results: MTMM model of PPTS offered the best representation of the data. The results suggest that the PPTS consists of four subscales (affective responsiveness, cognitive responsiveness, interpersonal manipulation, and egocentricity) while controlling for two method factors (knowledge/skills and attitudes/beliefs). Good composite reliability and differential predictive validity was observed. Conclusion: This brief measure of psychopathic traits uncontaminated with behavioral items can be used in the same way among participants with and without criminal history. Highlights: We introduce a new Psychopathic Personality Traits Scale (PPTS) validated in large prison sample. Four factors of psychopathy (affective & cognitive responsiveness, manipulation, and egocentricity) Good composite reliability and differential predictive validity of PPTS is reported. PPTS can be used in the same way among participants with and without criminal history.