| The overarching aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between factor 2 of psychopathy and negative emotion regulation. Psychopathy is a heterogeneous syndrome with the data supporting a two-factor conceptualization; an affective/interpersonal component (factor 1) and a behavioral/impulsivity component (factor 2). Research suggests dual etiological processes are reflected in the different factors. Factor 2 is associated with emotional dysregulation as evidenced by higher levels of negative affect, and is thought to reflect problems in self-regulation of behavior in response to rewards and punishments. The regulation of emotion is a significant component of the processes that comprise self-regulation. The behavioral symptoms and high negative affect associated with factor 2 could be a reflection of difficulties regulating negative emotion.;The final sample consisted of 85 participants recruited from the community to represent sufficient variability and range of factor 2 scores. Factor 2 was measured with the Psychopathic Personality Inventory (PPI), a self-report instrument designed to index psychopathic personality in non-incarcerated samples. To index emotion and regulation, a variant of the emotion-modulated startle task was administered using motivationally-neutral and unpleasant images, during which auditory instructions to regulate emotion (either "suppress" or "maintain") followed image onset. Startle probes were presented both (1) following image onset and before instruction (i.e., effect of image) and (2) after instruction (i.e., effect of regulation). Startle magnitude was measured with the eyeblink of the startle reflex and using EMG. Participants also completed self-report measures of regulatory strategies, problems with substances, antisociality, impulsivity, neuroticism, and trait anxiety.;Modulation of the startle during unpleasant images was observed at early and late probes. Attenuation of the startle response following the "suppress" instruction was observed on trials with unpleasant images relative to those with no instructions; however, startle was also attenuated following the "maintain" instruction. There were no differences between unpleasant/suppress trials and unpleasant/maintain trials. There were no differences on the task between low and high factor 2 groups. Self-reported use of cognitive reappraisal strategies was negatively associated with several other self-report measures. Results are interpreted through examination of attentional modulation of startle and other reported variants of the task.;Key words: psychopathy, emotion regulation, antisocial, startle reflex... |
