Psychopathy is a maladaptive personality disorder associated with a host of negative outcomes, including criminal behavior, psychopathology, and self-harm. Factor 1 (F1) and Factor 2 (F2) psychopathy show differential associations with psychopathology. However, evidence suggests that the statistical interaction of F1 and F2 may be more important in understanding associations with psychopathology. Findings regarding the interactive effects of F1 and F2 are mixed, as both potentiating and protective effects have emerged. Moreover, there is only scant research exploring the statistical impact of gender on these interactive effects. Furthermore, approaches to measuring F1 (e.g. clinical interview versus self-report) are based on different conceptualizations of F1, which may influence the strength and direction of the interactive effects. Study 1 aims to explore the influence of F1 and F2 on psychopathology by using both person-centered and variable-centered approaches on a sample of over 1,500 offenders. Study 2 seeks to replicate these findings among 227 drug users and 234 college students. Across analytic methods in Study 1, there were very cases in which F1 influenced the association between F2 and psychopathology, and there were no significant three-way gender interactions. Furthermore, the conceptualization of F1 across psychopathy measures did not impact the interactive effects of F1 and F2. Similar findings emerged in Study 2. These findings suggest that F2 is likely driving the relations between psychopathy and other forms of psychopathology, and that F1 plays less of a role in interacting with F2 than previously believed.

This study examines the moderating effect of six different parental behaviors on the level ofantisocial behavior in adolescents with psychopathic traits. Participants were 839 adolescents froma mid-sized town in Sweden between the ages of 13 - 15 years (M = 14.2, SD = .94). Parentalbehaviors and antisocial behavior were measured through adolescents' self-reports, psychopathictraits were measured using the Youth Psychopathic traits Inventory (YPI). The result from themoderation analysis showed that the three negative parental behaviors (bad reactions to disclosure,angry outbursts and coldness-rejection) had a significant positive moderating effect on the level ofantisocial behavior that the adolescents engaged in. The three positive parental behaviors (warmth,attempted understanding and control) however, did not have a significant moderating effect on thelevel of antisocial behavior. In sum, the result from this study suggests that negative parentalbehavior acts as risk factors for adolescents with psychopathic traits to engage in higher levels ofantisocial behavior. Furthermore, positive parental behaviors do not have a buffering effect againstantisocial behavior among these youths, indicating that it may be beyond the parents’ control toprevent the negative development of antisocial behavior among these youths.

More than half of known crime is committed by 5-6% of the criminal population. Who are these people? Research has shown that it is likely that a majority of these individuals are characterized by having a psychopathic personality. Interestingly, research has shown that psychopathic features are not unique to adults. Youths with high levels of psychopathic traits resemble adult psychopaths in that they are the most frequent, severe and aggressive, delinquent offenders. There is less knowledge, however, about the development of these traits in adolescence, and many fundamental questions have yet to be addressed. The aim of this dissertation is to begin to examine a few of these questions, such as: a) the role of parents andtheir behavior in the development of psychopathic personality in adolescence; b) patterns of stability and change in psychopathic traits during adolescence; and c) whether or not subgroups of adolescents with high levels of psychopathic traits can be identified in a normative community sample. Overall, the results reveal that a psychopathic personality profile characterizes a small group of youths at particular risk of negative development. This group, as well as showing high levels of psychopathic traits throughout adolescence, report high levels of delinquent behavior, and also experience dysfunctional relationships with their parents. Further, the results reveal important subgroups of adolescents with high levels of psychopathic traits, much in accordance with the literature on adult psychopaths. Whereas one group expresses the personality style of primary psychopaths, another is more aggressive, impulsive, and anxious than the other. Taken together, the results of this dissertation suggest that some adolescents are at particular risk of future negative development. Implications for theory and practice, and for the directions of future research, are discussed.

Previous research has demonstrated an association between violence exposure and aggression; however, research exploring the association between violence exposure and the forms and functions of aggression is scarce. The aim of this study was to explore the associations between trauma exposure with both reactive and proactive functions of aggression by examining two potential mediators (e.g., psychopathic traits and emotional dysregulation). Participants included 132 male juvenile offenders mandated to treatment in a residential facility (M = 16.78 years old; SD = 1.25). Results indicate emotional dysregulation partially mediated the association between trauma exposure and reactive aggression while controlling for proactive aggression. However, no evidence was found to support the hypothesis that psychopathic traits mediated the association between trauma exposure and proactive aggression. Results suggest trauma exposure is important in the development of reactive aggression. Thus, treatment approaches for aggressive youth should address issues of trauma exposure.

Inventory (YPI), kriminella handlingar och attityder till kriminellt beteende bland gymnasieungdomar. En frågeställning som undersöktes i studien var, om det fanns något samband mellan YPI personlighetsdrag och kriminella handlingar. Ytterligare en frågeställning som undersöktes var om det fanns några könsskillnader i attityder gentemot kriminellt beteende. Studien utfördes med en kvantitativ datainsamlingsmetod, vilken genomfördes via tre frågeformulär. De tre frågeformulären somanvändes i studien var ett egetkonstruerat frågeformulär, Youth Psychopatich traits Inventory (YPI), vilket är ett självskattningsformulär, och ett modifierat frågeformulär från Brottsförebyggande rådet. Datan som samlades in var från 108 gymnasieungdomar i åldrarna 15-19 år, därav 34 killar och 56 tjejer. Resultaten visade på att det personlighetsdrag som var relativt högst självskattat i den undersökta gruppen var thrill-seeking. Resultaten visade även att det fanns positiva medelstarka signifikanta samband mellan fem av YPI variablerna (manipulation, remorselessness, thrill-seeking, impulsiveness, irresponsibility) och kriminella handlingar. Ytterligare resultat som studien visade var att fler killar än tjejer hade gjort någon eller några kriminella handlingar. Killarnas attityder var mer liberala gentemot kriminella handlingar än tjejernas, vilket även stöds av tidigare forskning / The purpose of the study was to examine personality traits according to the Youth Psychopathic traits Inventory (YPI), criminal acts and attitudes towards criminal behavior among high school students. One of the questions that have been examined in the study is if there is any correlation between young people that have been involved with criminal acts and young people that have YPI personality tendencies. Another question investigated in the study was if there are gender inequities between boys and girls with regard to the attitudes towards criminal behavior. The study was conducted through a survey that included three questionnaires. The results were compiled and compared and then analyzed using a computer-based algorithm. The three questionnaires that were used in the study were a self-constructed survey, the Youth Psychopathic traits Inventory (YPI) and finally one modified Crime prevention council-BRÅ survey. The test group consisted of 108 upper secondary youth between the ages of fifteen and nineteen. The 108 participants included 34 boys and 56 girls. The result clearly showed that the psychopathic tendencies that were represented amongst the youth in the study are thrill-seeking based. The results also showed strong significant correlation between five of the YPI, variables (manipulation, remorselessness, thrill-seeking, impulsiveness, irresponsibility and criminal acts. The study also showed that more boys than girls had been involved in criminal acts of some kind. The attitudes of the boys in the study showed that they had a more liberal views regards to criminal acts than the girls, which is supported in previous research

Research has shown that children displaying conduct problems (CP) early in life are at greater risk for severe CP and other negative outcomes later in life. However, not all children with early-onset CP will develop severe CP over the life-course. Thus, it is important to identify those at greater risk, preferably as early as possible, in order to adequately prevent a negative development. Psychopathic traits have received much attention in research on risk for severe CP, involving attempts to extend these traits, and their association to CP to childhood. However, research has thus far mainly focused on one dimension of psychopathic traits, that is callousunemotional (CU) traits, to some extent neglecting two other dimensions of traits commonly included in a psychopathic personality: an interpersonal, and a behavioural dimension. Hence, we still do not know if a full psychopathic personality is identifiable in early childhood, and if and how it is related to the development of severe and persistent CP. The aim of this dissertation was to examine if a psychopathic personality could be identified in early childhood, if psychopathic traits are stable over time, and if and how the psychopathic personality is related to childhood CP. Overall, the results show that psychopathic traits, as well as the display of a psychopathic personality, could be identified in early childhood. These traits were stable over time, and they were clearly and strongly related to childhood CP. Additionally, the combination of early-onset CP and a full psychopathic personality seems to be the most precarious for severe and persistent CP, even more so than the combination of CP and CU traits. With careful consideration to ethical aspects, these results are discussed both in relation to a developmental psychopathology perspective on CP, as well as in relation to diagnostic practice as it is framed today.

There is a growing body of research on psychopathic traits in non-clinical populations. This emerging research has documented the prevalence of psychopathic traits in the general population and demonstrated that psychopathy has a similar latent structure as well as similar correlates (e.g., violent behavior, alcohol abuse, and lower intelligence) to forensic/offender samples. Relatedly, there is strong evidence insecure attachment patterns in adulthood are associated with many personality disorders, including psychopathy, but only a few studies have examined the relationship between attachment and psychopathic traits in non-clinical samples (albeit, convenience samples of college students). Thus, two aims of the current study are to: 1) describe and explore the manifestation and expression of psychopathic traits in a large, community-based sample and 2) examine associations between adult attachment disturbances and psychopathic traits in diverse sociodemographic subgroups. Using a cross-sectional design, results showed mean-level psychopathy factor score differences existed only when considering single sociodemographic factors (e.g., age), not an interaction of those factors. Psychopathy factor profiles were also consistent across groups, with higher levels of lifestyle followed by interpersonal, affective, and antisocial traits reported. Regarding the second aim, findings indicated support for the positive association between disturbed attachment patterns in adult relationships and psychopathic traits, although these associations differed in males and females of different age groups. Finally, there was some support for attachment processes acting as a social development pathway toward psychopathy, as insecure attachments in adulthood partially mediated the relationships between age and interpersonal, affective, and lifestyle traits of psychopathy.

Psykopati är en personlighetsstörning där specifika beteendemönsteringår. Man kan hitta psykopatiska drag hos barn och ungdomar. Detfinns begränsat med forskning gällande ungdomar med psykopatiskadrag och okänslighet för bestraffning, samt hur föräldrabeteendenpåverkas. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka om ungdomarsokänslighet för bestraffning medierar länken mellan psykopatiskadrag och föräldrabeteenden. Studien är gjord på tidigare insamladdata från en medelstor stad i Sverige. Sammanlagt deltog 968 flickoroch pojkar, samt svarade deras föräldrar på enkäter. Resultatetvisade att ungdomars okänslighet för bestraffning delvis medierarlänken mellan ungdomars psykopatiska drag och föräldrabeteenden.Dock visade fynden olika resultat för olika föräldrabeteenden. / Psychopathy is a personality disorder where specific patterns ofbehavior are included. It is possible to find psychopathic traits amongchildren and adolescents. There is limited research concerningadolescents with psychopathic traits and insensitivity to punishment,also how the parenting behaviors are affected. The purpose of thisstudy is to research if adolescents’ insensitivity to punishmentmediates the link between psychopathic traits and parenting behaviors.The study is conducted by using previously collected data from anaverage sized city in Sweden. There were 968 participants, where bothgirls and boys and their parents filled out questionnaires. The resultshowed that adolescents’ insensitivity to punishment partly mediatesthe link between youth’s psychopathic traits and parenting behaviors.However the findings showed different paths for different parentingbehaviors.

In this study, we examined subgroups of adolescents based on their levels of psychopathic traits and ADHD symptoms. Participants were 982 adolescents from a community sample, with a mean age of 14.28 (SD= .94) years. We used youths’ self-reports of psychopathic traits and their legal guardians’ reports of the adolescent’s ADHD symptoms to identify distinct subgroups of youths. We identified four groups that varied in levels of psychopathic traits and ADHD by using the Hierarchical clustering analysis. One group was characterized by high levels of psychopathic traits and high levels of ADHD (high combination group). The subgroups differed significantly from each other in several theoretically meaningful ways. The high combination group reported higher levels of psychopathic traits, impulsivity and hyperactivity, as well as higher levels on external variables such as aggression, delinquency and violence compared to the other subgroups. The high combination group also differed in terms of anxiety levels from the subgroup with high psychopathic traits only. These findings are in line with previous research and confirms that the construct of psychopathy is heterogenous. We identified an especially vulnerable subgroup that resembles the characteristics of the secondary psychopath.

The purpose of the study was to examine whether gender moderated the association between psychopathic traits and peer harassment, as well as examining each psychopathic trait individually alongside the different harassment forms. Secondary data from the Seven School project was used which collected its data from seven middle-sized schools in Sweden. Besides descriptive and correlation analyses, a series of hierarchical regression models were used. The results show that boys in general scored higher than girls on both psychopathic traits and peer harassment. Also, impulsivity predicted peer harassment and so did gender in all outcome steps except for step 1 and 2 for personal harassment. However, gender didn’t moderate the effect between psychopathic traits and peer harassment except for sexual harassment and impulsivity. The conclusion of the study is that impulsivity is a major concern in peer harassment whilst grandiosity and callous-unemotional does not seem to be of major concern. Also, the moderating role of gender only had an effect on impulsivity and sexual harassment in males. / Syftet med studien var att undersöka om kön modererade kopplingen mellan psykopatiska drag och trakasserier bland jämnåriga. Samt även att undersöka de olika psykopatiska dragen separat tillsammans med de olika trakasserierna. Sekundärdata från ”Sju skolor” projektet användes som hämtade in sin data från sju medelstora skolor i Sverige. Utöver descriptive- och korrelationsanalyser, utfördes även en serie av hierarkiska regressionsmodeller. Resultatet visar på att pojkar generellt får högre resultat på psykopatiska drag och trakasserier än flickor. Impulsivitet förutsäger trakasserier bland jämnåriga och det gjorde även kön i alla resultatsteg förutom steg 1 och 2 för personliga trakasserier. Däremot så modererar kön inte effekten mellan psykopatiska drag och trakasserier förutom sexuella trakasserier och impulsivitet. Slutsatsen av studien är den att impulsivitet är ett stort problem för trakasserier bland jämnåriga medan grandiositet och känslokallhet inte verkar vara ett större problem. Den modererande koppling mellan könen hade bara en effekt på impulsivitet och sexuella trakasserier bland män.