Construct validity of psychopathic personality traits in a cohort of young twins

A nomological network of constructs was developed in order to evaluate the construct validity of psychopathy in preadolescent children. Theoretical conceptualizations of psychopathy in adults emphasize its multi-faceted nature; the interpersonal features of psychopathy are thought to be indicative of positive adjustment, whereas the impulsive/behavioral traits are thought to represent risk for maladaptive outcomes. Hence, if psychopathy is a valid construct in children, then different traits should show divergent associations with respect to external criteria.;Subjects were 605 pairs of same-sex and opposite-sex twins recruited from diverse communities throughout Los Angeles. Data were obtained from twins and their caregivers during the 1st wave of an ongoing twin study, when the twins were 9-10 years old. Psychopathy was assessed using a caregiver version of the Childhood Psychopathy Scale (Lynam, 1997). Previous factor-analytic work has shown that the subscales of the CPS can be organized into 2 factors: Charming/Manipulative and Callous/Disinhibited. A general-specific factor model was fit to the data to allow for easier interpretation of the associations between different facets of psychopathy and external criteria.;Construct validity of psychopathy was evaluated using a range of behavioral, cognitive, and psychophysiological measures. The genetic and environmental contributions to the associations with external criteria were examined using standard twin models. The genetic variance that was common to all of the psychopathic traits (i.e., the general factor) was highly correlated with measures of antisocial behavior and inattention/hyperactivity. This general factor was also positively associated with anxiety/depression, particularly in females. General psychopathy was inversely related to IQ and to electrodermal responses, but these associations were modest and mainly confined to males. The interpersonal (Charming/Manipulative) factor of psychopathy, by contrast, was not associated with external criteria in a theoretically expected manner.