Generalizing the nomological network of psychopathy across populations differing on race and conviction status

J Abnorm Psychol. 2012 Feb;121(1):263-9. doi: 10.1037/a0024683. Epub 2011 Aug 15.

Abstract

Psychopathy has shown good construct validity in samples of Caucasian inmates. However, little is known about how well the nomological network surrounding psychopathy generalizes to non-Caucasian and nonincarcerated populations. Using longitudinal and concurrent data from the middle sample of the Pittsburgh Youth Study, this study demonstrates that the validity of total- and facet-level psychopathy is preserved in African American and nonincarcerated samples. Specifically, similar patterns of association were obtained for child variables (child psychopathy, socioeconomic status, risk status, parenting, delinquency, peer delinquency, and impulsivity) and adult variables (children, education, incarceration, unemployment, personality, substance use, and antisocial personality disorder) across ethnicity and conviction status.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Antisocial Personality Disorder / ethnology*
  • Antisocial Personality Disorder / psychology*
  • Black or African American / psychology*
  • Child
  • Crime / ethnology
  • Crime / statistics & numerical data*
  • Humans
  • Impulsive Behavior / psychology
  • Juvenile Delinquency / psychology
  • Male
  • Parenting / psychology
  • Prospective Studies
  • Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
  • Regression Analysis
  • Risk Factors
  • Socioeconomic Factors
  • Substance-Related Disorders / psychology
  • Young Adult