Factor Structure and Construct Validity of the Proposed Specifiers for Conduct Disorder (PSCD) Scale in Chinese Adolescents

Abstract

The Proposed Specifiers for Conduct Disorder (PSCD) Scale is a new measure to assess psychopathic traits and symptoms of conduct disorder (CD) in children and adolescents. The current study examined the psychometric properties of the self-report version of the PSCD in a sample of community adolescents in mainland China ( N = 1,683; mean age = 13.60, SD = 1.14; 54.1% boys). The new instrument showed good internal consistency (alpha) for the 24-item total scale and good mean interitem correlations for each of the six-item subscales. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) were conducted on all 24 items, and also a subset of 13 items that demonstrated strong item-level reliabilities. Using all 24 items, CFA results supported a four-factor bifactor model indicating the total score reflects a broad syndrome with four factors. The four factors included grandiose–manipulative traits (GM traits), callous–unemotional traits (CU traits), daring–impulsive traits (DI traits), and CD traits. The 13-item CFA results provided further support for a four-factor conceptualization of the PSCD and evidence of strong measurement invariance across gender. Finally, the PSCD exhibited the expected relations with other psychopathy measures, anxiety and depression, and aggression, supporting the PSCD scores convergent, discriminant, and criterion related validity. The findings provide preliminary evidence for the four-factor structure of the PSCD and support for the utility of the self-report PSCD for measuring psychopathic traits and CD in Chinese adolescents.

Validation of the Proposed Specifiers for Conduct Disorder (PSCD) Scale in a Sample of Italian Students

“…Figure 1 shows the factor loadings. This final model showed some similarities with the model found by Luo and colleagues [26]: in particular, item 17 resulted as not significant also in this Bifactor model. The general factor reflects quite well on the indicators of all the specific items.…”

“…We then evaluated the internal consistency of the PSCD score using the mean interitem correlations (MIC) and the ω H for the general factor [33,34]. This index is usually used in short item scale, and it is used in Luo et al [26]. The ω H represents the ratio of the variance of the general factor compared to the total test variance, which reflects the percentage of systematic variance in unit-weighted total scores that can be attributed to the individual differences on the general factor.…”

“…The PSCD construct validity has been established by a previous study by Luo et al [26], as well as its associations with other measures of maladjustment. However, Luo et al [26] examined the PSCD relation to the external criteria using only self-report measures.…”

“…The PSCD construct validity has been established by a previous study by Luo et al [26], as well as its associations with other measures of maladjustment. However, Luo et al [26] examined the PSCD relation to the external criteria using only self-report measures. Some studies examined parent and child reports together and pointed out that parent measures had a greater magnitude of effect in predicting some outcomes [17,28].…”

Frontal alpha asymmetry and emotional processing in youth with psychopathic traits

“…The possible range for the PSCD total score is 0 to 48, and the possible range for each subscale score is 0 to 12. Data from a sample of 1,683 mainland Chinese youth have demonstrated promising results as far as the measure's factor structure and internal consistency, considering that the subscales are short and composed of six items ( α total = .80, subscales range .51–.70; Luo, Wang, Neumann, Hare, & Salekin, 2020). Preliminary data from a sample of 300 high school students in the United States have also indicated that the measure and its subscales have alphas ranging from .58–.78, with a total score alpha of .83 (R. Salekin, personal communication, February 21, 2020).…”