Identifying Psychopathic Subtypes: Combining an Empirical Personality Classification of Offenders WithThe Psychopathy Checklist-Revised

Abstract

Mentally disordered offenders who were psychopathic according to the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) were divided into primary psychopath, secondary psychopath, controlled, and inhibited groups on the basis of a validated empirical classification, using the Antisocial Personality Questionnaire (APQ). They were compared on the factors and facets of the PCL-R, criminal history, Axis I and Axis II psychopathology, experience of child abuse, personality, interpersonal style, and clinical ratings of risk and treatability, to determine the utility of the APQ classification in identifying subtypes of psychopath. Significant differences between APQ primary and secondary psychopaths on several measures support the identification of these groups with the primary and secondary psychopaths hypothesized by Karpman (1948) and others. However, further differences suggest that the controlled and inhibited groups represent additional variants of primary and secondary psychopath, respectively. The results provide further evidence for the heterogeneity of psychopaths, and suggest that the PCL-R encompasses several distinct subtypes of abnormal personality.

Clarifying the heterogeneity in psychopathic samples: Towards a new continuum of primary and secondary psychopathy

“…Different studies in adult incarcerated male samples have largely supported these theoretical differentiations by Skeem and colleagues. The conclusions from this review and the results of others (Blackburn, 2007;Blackburn et al, 2008;Ishikawa et al, 2001) with regard to personality pathology in primary and secondary psychopathy is schematized in figure 2. (Skeem et al, 2003a(Skeem et al, , 2007, whereas ASPD is more closely related to secondary variants.…”

“…However, these groups differed on a number of personality measures, with the most notable differences being found regarding neuroticism. The psychopathic group with low levels of neuroticism was labeled by Blackburn as exhibiting -primary psychopathy‖ and the other group with high levels of anxiety and depression as -secondary psychopathy‖ (Blackburn, 1975;Blackburn et al, 2008;Lykken, 1995;Skeem et al, 2003bSkeem et al, , 2007.…”

“…(Skeem et al, 2003a(Skeem et al, , 2007, whereas ASPD is more closely related to secondary variants. The core features associated with primary psychopathy are mainly related to NPD disturbances and can thus also come to expression in controlled individuals (Blackburn, 2007;Blackburn et al, 2008;Gao & Raine, 2010;Ishikawa et al, 2001;Poythress & Hall, 2011). Furthermore, a substantial part of the secondary psychopathic group is additionally characterized by the presence of BPD traits (Skeem et al, 2003a(Skeem et al, , 2007.…”

“…In the following year, Blackburn et al (2008) used cluster-analysis in a violent forensic male sample (N = 79) with equally high PCL-R scores (PCL-R ≈ 26) and identified four clusters. One group presented with particularly high scores on factor 1 exclusively (termed -controlled psychopathy‖ by the authors), and three clusters presented with high scores on both factors (termed -primary‖, -secondary‖, and -inhibited‖ psychopathy).…”

Psychopathic traits in young offenders vs. non-offenders in similar socioeconomic condition

“…5 Since then, this hypothesis has been supported by several studies assessing samples of psychopaths with different theoretical approaches. [6][7][8][9] There is now a consensus regarding the validity of distinguishing interpersonal/affective characteristics (which correspond to the primary variant and are more constitutionally inherited) from lifestyle/antisocial behaviors (which correspond to the secondary variant and are more influenced by the environment). [10][11][12][13] The relevance of environmental factors has also been proposed by many authors who studied children and adolescents with antisocial behaviors.…”