The usefulness of self-reported psychopathy-like traits in the study of antisocial behaviour among non-referred adolescents

• Addresses the question of whether it is possible to use a self-report measure of psychopathic traits on non-referred youth samples to identify a subgroup of problematic youths who are particularly problematic and different from other problem youths. A large sample of 1,279 eighth-grade, non-referred adolescents (mean age 14.42 yrs), and their parents were assessed. Students completed self-report measures that assessed personality, conduct problems, and family functioning. Parents responded by completing and mailing in a questionnaire. Results show that the adolescents exhibiting a low-socialized psychopathy-like personality constellation had a more frequent, violent, and versatile conduct-problem profile than other low-socialized and well socialized adolescents. The psychopathy-like adolescents also differed from other poorly socialized adolescents in ways that suggested that their etiological background was different from adolescents with non-psychopathy-like conduct problems. The authors conclude that self-report measures can indeed be useful for research purposes in subtyping youths with conduct problems.

Subject headings

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Psykologi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Psychology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Antisocial Behavior

Antisocial Personality Disorder

Behavior Problems

Psychopathy

Self Report

Psychology

Psykologi

Psychology

Psykologi

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)