The role of psychopathy factors in reactive aggression within a sample of prisoners

Abstract

Purpose -The main objective of this paper is to examine the role of four psychopathy factors (Interpersonal Manipulation, Callous Affect, Erratic Lifestyle, and Antisocial Behaviour) and the length of incarceration in reactive aggression. The predictive effect of dissatisfaction with peer relations, childhood experiences of violence, and criminal friends on reactive forms of aggressive acts is also explored.Design/methodology/approach -One hundred and twenty nine (N = 129) male prisoners incarcerated in Stargard Szczecinski Prison were recruited for the study. Cross-sectional design using self-report questionnaire of retrospective and prospective nature was utilised.Findings -Hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that only one psychopathy facet, Interpersonal Manipulation, forms a significant association with reactive aggression.Another accurate correlate of reactive aggression was the length of incarceration.Originality/value -The results of the present study indicate that the commonly suggested two-factor models of psychopathy may be misguided. Future studies examining the effect of psychopathy facets on aggression should consider Interpersonal Manipulation and Callous Affect as separate dimensions. Additionally, this study is the first to demonstrate that reactive aggression may be exacerbated during incarceration.

The Integrated Psychosocial Model of Criminal Social Identity (IPM-CSI)

“…change by recognising what they want, establishing a goal, and deciding on an appropriate course of action to bring them closer to the desired object (Blumer, 1966 Debowska, Boduszek, Kola, & Hyland, 2014;Debowska, Mattison, & Boduszek, in press;Debowska & Zeyrek Rios, 2015;Dhingra, Boduszek, Palmer, & Shevlin, 2015), future research should include the interpersonal and affective dimensions of psychopathy as separate components.…”

Exposure to criminal environment and criminal social identity in a sample of adult prisoners: The moderating role of psychopathic traits.

“…Based on previous research findings by Boduszek et al (2016), it may also be suggested that those more skilled at interpersonal manipulation, will be more likely to adapt to social norms provided by prison settings and develop a criminal identity. Even though the researchers considered interpersonal (e.g., grandiosity, deceitfulness, and superficial charm) and affective (e.g., low empathy, lack of remorse, emotional shallowness, and a failure to accept personal responsibility) features of psychopathy as a single dimension, other empirical studies demonstrated that those traits correlate differently with external variables, such as reactive aggression, rape myth acceptance, as well as self-injurious thoughts and behavior (e.g., Debowska, Boduszek, Kola, & Hyland, 2014;Debowska, Mattison, & Boduszek, 2015;Debowska & Zeyrek Rios, 2015;Dhingra, Boduszek, Palmer, & Shevlin, 2015). Accordingly, in order to test the hypothesis that interpersonal manipulation and callous affect may be significantly related to the formation of criminal identity, future research in the area of CSI should include interpersonal and affective dimensions of psychopathy as separate components.…”