Understanding Psychopathy in a Multi-Ethnic Sample of Male & Female Adolescents

University Of Southern California, Los Angeles CA

Investigators

Abstract

Psychopathy is associated with severe and frequent violence and antisocial behavior, but little is[unreadable] known about its structure and validity in youth. Even less is known about psychopathy in females, a group at[unreadable] substantial risk for aggression and violence. Objectives:The proposed study will examine psychopathy in a[unreadable] multiethnic sample of maltreated and comparison adolescents in Los Angeles (LA),and increase[unreadable] fundamental knowledge about this important risk factor for violence, particularly among young females.[unreadable] Specific Aims: la) To delineate the factor structureof psychopathy [as measured bythe AntisocialProcess[unreadable] ScreeningDevice (APSD; Frick& Hare, 2001 )] in this sample; Ib) To test the invariance of the resultant[unreadable] factor model across gender, ethnic and maltreatment group 2) To examine the cross-informant validity of the[unreadable] APSD via multitrait, multimethod approaches; and 3) To investigatethe relationship between APSD[unreadable] psychopathy and aggression, conduct problems, and delinquency. Major Hypotheses: 1) a 3-factor structure:[unreadable] will best characterize the APSD; 2) the APSD will show noninvariance across gender; 3) when examined[unreadable] separately in males and females, the APSD will show cross-informant validity; 4) broadly, psychopathy will[unreadable] be significantly positively related to aggression, conduct problems and delinquency. Study Design: The[unreadable] proposed study utilizes data collected at the 3rd timepoint of the USC Young Adolescent Project, an ongoing[unreadable] longitudinal study of the impact of neglect on development (Dr. Penelope Trickett, PI). Participants: A study[unreadable] group(N=303) was recruited from substantiated maltreatment reports to the LA Department of Child and[unreadable] Family Services within 10 zipcodes in urban LA. A comparison group (N=151)was recruited from schools in[unreadable] the same 10 zipcodes. Mean age at study entry was 10.9 years (SD=1.15), and comprised 53% male, 39%[unreadable] Latino,37% AfricanAmerican, 12% White and 12% mixed/biracial participants. Data is also collected from[unreadable] caretakers and teachers. Measures: APSD scores will be correlated with scores on the[unreadable] Aggressiveness/Bullyingand Delinquent Misbehavior subscales of the parent and self-report Child Behavior[unreadable] Checklist (Achenbach, 1991; see Nollet al., in preparation), the Reactive-Proactive Questionnaire (Raine et[unreadable] al., in press), and the self-report Adolescent Delinquency Questionnaire (see Huizinga & Morse, 1986).