Reliability and Construct Validity of the Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised in a Swedish Non-Criminal Sample – A Multimethod Approach including Psychophysiological Correlates of Empathy for Pain

Abstract

Cross-cultural investigation of psychopathy measures is important for clarifying the nomological network surrounding the psychopathy construct. The Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised (PPI-R) is one of the most extensively researched self-report measures of psychopathic traits in adults. To date however, it has been examined primarily in North American criminal or student samples. To address this gap in the literature, we examined PPI-R’s reliability, construct validity and factor structure in non-criminal individuals (N = 227) in Sweden, using a multimethod approach including psychophysiological correlates of empathy for pain. PPI-R construct validity was investigated in subgroups of participants by exploring its degree of overlap with (i) the Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version (PCL:SV), (ii) self-rated empathy and behavioral and physiological responses in an experiment on empathy for pain, and (iii) additional self-report measures of alexithymia and trait anxiety. The PPI-R total score was significantly associated with PCL:SV total and factor scores. The PPI-R Coldheartedness scale demonstrated significant negative associations with all empathy subscales and with rated unpleasantness and skin conductance responses in the empathy experiment. The PPI-R higher order Self-Centered Impulsivity and Fearless Dominance dimensions were associated with trait anxiety in opposite directions (positively and negatively, respectively). Overall, the results demonstrated solid reliability (test-retest and internal consistency) and promising but somewhat mixed construct validity for the Swedish translation of the PPI-R.

Effects of 25 mg oxazepam on emotional mimicry and empathy for pain: a randomized controlled experiment

“…

Figure 11.( a – d ) Empathy for pain: personality predictors. Associations between PPI subscales and empathic responding have been reported previously [57].

…”

Changes in heart rate and skin conductance in the 30 min preceding aggressive behavior

“…Lorber concluded that HR was mostly related to aggression, while EDA was most prominently associated with psychopathy (especially lower rest EDA and reactivity in psychopathy samples). Consensus on the exact core features of psychopathy is lacking, but psychopathy is typically characterized by problems in affective, behavioral, and interpersonal functioning, which increases the psychopath's risk for violent behavior (Sörman et al, ). Lastly, the fourth review by Patrick () reported a higher HR and EDA reactivity to stressful events, interpersonal stressors, in particular, and in samples of hostile‐aggressive adults.…”

Use of self‐reported psychopathy assessments with older adults: An update on evaluation of their psychometrics for people over 60 years

“…It is encouraging that although investigations of measures of psychopathy were initially confined to samples of young adults, with some specifically screening out older adults, more recent research has used samples with wider age ranges (Christian & Sellbom, 2016;Collison, Miller, Gaughn, Widiger, & Lynam, 2016;Gordts, Uzieblo, Neumann, Bussche, & Rossi, 2015;Sörman et al, 2016). These later psychometric evaluations of measures of psychopathy apparently support their reliability and validity across a wide age range, but still none examine the small, older groups separately; it remains unclear whether these measures are valid and reliable tools for screening psychopathy in older adults.…”