Comparing Two Alternative Measures of General Personality in the Assessment of Psychopathy: A Test of the NEO PI‐R and the MPQ

Abstract

This study examined the interrelations between two measures of personality, the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO PI-R; P. T. Costa & R. R. McCrae, 1992) and the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (MPQ; Tellegen & Waller, 2008), and their relations with psychopathy in a sample of undergraduates. Results revealed good convergence between conceptually related personality traits; however, the NEO PI-R facets accounted for more variance in the MPQ subscales (mean R(2)=.49) than did MPQ subscales in NEO PI-R facets (mean R(2)=.35). Both accounted for substantial proportions of variance in psychopathy scores, although the NEO PI-R accounted for larger proportions and manifested greater incremental validity when using the broader domains of each measure; the differences decreased when the narrower facets/subscales were used. The results suggest that, although both measures assess psychopathy-related traits, the NEO PI-R provides a more complete description because of its assessment of interpersonal antagonism and the central role of this construct in psychopathy.

FFM description of the triarchic conceptualization of psychopathy in men and women.

“…The disinhibition domain scores were found to be strongly marked by low Conscientiousness, low Agreeableness and high Neuroticism, as well as by high Excitement-Seeking but low Warmth from Extraversion. These results parallel previous empirical FFM descriptions of the externalizing component of psychopathy in terms of low constraint, high interpersonal antagonism, high emotional instability and maladjustment and even internalizing vulnerability Gaughan et al, 2009;Hall et al, 2004;Ross et al, 2004Ross et al, , 2009. Interestingly, Disinhibition scores were not related in a different manner to either of the FFM domains depending on gender, contrary to evidence showing stronger positive correlations between Openness and traits related to externalizing (SRP-III erratic lifestyle and antisocial behavior) for women than men (cf.…”

“…The meanness domain scores primarily consisted of very low Agreeableness (to a greater degree in men) and moderately low Conscientiousness, closely resembling empirical descriptions of the selfish, manipulative and callous/unemotional component of psychopathy in terms of the FFM as substantially antagonistic and coldhearted Gaughan et al, 2009;Hall et al, 2004;Miller et al, 2011;Ross et al, 2004Ross et al, , 2009Seibert et al, 2011). Besides very low scores across all facets of Agreeableness, Meanness also consisted of low interpersonal connectedness (low Warmth from Extraversion), which, in men, was accompanied by lack of affiliation (low Gregariousness and Positive Emotions from Extraversion) and blunted affect and dogmatism (low Openness to Felings and Openness to Values).…”

“…Stanley et al, 2013). Triarchic components were significantly represented at the domain level of normal personality -in our study, FFM domains accounted for 67%, 53% and 44% of the variance in Boldness, Disinhibition and Meanness, respectively-, but it is relevant to note that examination of relationships at the facet level provided a more precise description and a clearer insight into the convergent and discriminant correlates of specific components of psychopathy in the Decuyper et al, 2009;Gaughan et al, 2009;; see also Strickland et al, 2013). Secondarily, thriarchic domains converged in high ExcitementSeeking (Extraversion) for women, thus replicating prior evidence in a female correctional sample (Sellbom & Phillips, 2013), and in line with the presence of common behavioral activation across all components of psychopathy (cf.…”

“…Gaughan et al, 2009;Miller et al, 2011). The only notable differences as a function of gender were found for the Meanness scale, whose scores were more highly related to low Agreeableness in men than in women -paralleling Ross et al's (2004) results in regard to LSRP primary psychopathy-, as well as associated to low Extraversion and Openness to Feelings only in men.…”

An examination of the structure of self-report psychopathy measures and their relations with general traits and externalizing behaviors.

“…In addition to these concerns, there is some debate regarding the factor structure of these self-report psychopathy scales (Benning et al, 2003;Brinkley et al, 2001; Gaughan et al, 2009;Neumann et al, 2008). Although many of the most prominent selfreport scales can be traced back to the work of Cleckley (1941) and, more recently, Hare (1991Hare ( , 2003, the scales differ in regard to their factor structure (i.e., 2 factors, 4 factors, 8 factors) and their fidelity with the structure that has been typically derived from the PCL-R.…”