Both the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) and the Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version (PCL:YV), respectively, are established instruments for assessment of psychopathy and development of psychopathic propensity. To reliably compare scores from both instruments, measurement invariance must be established. The current study involved a combined sample of 1091 male participants (adults = 813; adolescents = 278) from correctional facilities in New Mexico. An exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) framework was used to test for measurement invariance. The four-factor ESEM model demonstrated good fit for the combined and individual samples. Results from the multiple group ESEM provide evidence for generally strong invariance, with equivalent factor loadings and thresholds. Adolescents exhibited decreased latent interpersonal traits but increased latent features on other PCL factors (affective, lifestyle, and antisocial) compared to adults. Findings suggest that the four-factor model and the measurement of psychopathic traits remain consistent across age groups. Implications of the findings within research and clinical contexts are discussed.

With internet gaming disorder (IGD) becoming more common, there are growing worries about the health of those it affects. This study examines how traits like Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and narcissism might connect family functioning to IGD. The research involved 1190 young adults who answered an online survey, sharing their personal experiences. To examine the mediation effects, latent variable structural equation modeling (SEM) was used, revealing complex relationships among the variables under investigation. Although all direct and indirect paths were statistically significant, the mediation effects of narcissism were positive only when Machiavellianism and psychopathy were not included as parallel mediators, but negative otherwise. The findings suggest that individuals with strong family functioning could be less likely to internalize manipulative behaviors and show a lack of empathy, traits that could contribute to their involvement in IGD. The results underscore the importance of recognizing the multifaceted nature of this phenomenon and provide valuable insights for developing comprehensive strategies to prevent and tackle IGD. Therefore, prevention and intervention efforts should consider the combined influences of family functioning, personality traits, and individual and contextual factors in the online environment to effectively address this problem.

While numerous explanations for vote-switching have been proposed (e.g. declining rates of partisanship, ideological shifts, partisan ambivalence, change in policy preferences), far less work has examined the personality profile of people more likely to engage in this behaviour. In Study 1, we examined the relationship between both general (i.e. openness, conscientiousness) and antagonistic (i.e. psychopathy, narcissism, Machiavellianism) personality traits and the intent to switch one\'s vote in a large sample of Canadian citizens, while controlling for several established correlates such as age, income and political interest. Of all personality traits, only individuals higher in openness reported a greater intent to engage in vote switching. Despite our expectations, Machiavellianism, a trait characterized by its strategic nature, was unrelated to vote switching intentions. In Study 2, we addressed several methodological reasons for why antagonistic traits may have been unrelated to vote switching intentions in Study 1 by examining the traits at the facet level and utilizing a new measure of Machiavellianism among a separate sample of Canadian citizens. Here again, we found little evidence for a relationship between antagonistic traits, including Machiavellianism, and vote switching intentions.

UNASSIGNED: The purpose of the current study was to determine whether there are personality differences (the HEXACO model, narcissism, sadism, compassion for others) in mask-wearing, social distancing, and hoarding.
UNASSIGNED: Those who always wore masks were significantly higher in compassion for others and significantly lower in sadism compared to those who did not always wear masks. Those who always socially distanced (compared to those who did not) were significantly higher in openness, compassion for others, and conscientiousness. Those who hoarded were significantly lower in agreeableness than those who did not hoard.
UNASSIGNED: Perhaps physicians may use information to boost states of altruistic-type traits (agreeableness, compassion for others) while educating patients during visits in order to increase the likelihood of receiving vaccinations or booster shots.

UNASSIGNED: This meta-analysis investigates the relationships between the Dark Triad personality traits (narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy) and mental toughness. Previous research has shown mixed results regarding the influence of these traits on mental toughness. The objective of this meta-analysis is to synthesize existing literature and provide a comprehensive understanding of how Dark Triad traits correlate with mental toughness.
UNASSIGNED: A comprehensive literature search was conducted in 7 databases, Data were extracted by correlation and analyzed using a random-effects model.
UNASSIGNED: The results yielding 27 effect sizes with a total of 12,378 participants, revealed a significant moderate positive association between narcissism and mental toughness (r = 0.327, p < 0.001), suggesting that individuals with higher levels of narcissism tend to exhibit greater mental toughness. However, no significant associations were found between Machiavellianism (r = 0.023, p = 0.719) or psychopathy (r = -0.022, p = 0.625) and mental toughness.
UNASSIGNED: The findings contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the Dark Triad traits and their differential associations with adaptive psychological constructs, highlighting the unique role of narcissism in mental toughness. This meta-analysis provides valuable insights for future research and practical applications in fostering adaptive aspects of narcissism while mitigating its potential maladaptive consequences.

Individuals with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) are characterized by impulsive behavior and a lack of empathy, which can eventually lead to criminal behavior. In our narrative review, we are investigating the neurological differences in the function, structure, and connectivity of those with ASPD in comparison to those without, with a major focus on psychopathic cluster B populations of ASPD individuals. We reviewed 86 published articles, and five of these met the inclusion criteria for distinct psychopathic and non-psychopathic groups. After reviewing these sources, we found deficits in function and structure leading to a lack of empathy and adherence to social norms in individuals with ASPD. Currently, there are very few treatment options for those living with ASPD. It is our opinion that with a better understanding of the structural and functional differences in those with ASPD, we might see more efficacious treatment therapies for this population group in the medical community.

This article explores the implicit self-concept pertaining to psychopathy. Two online studies showed inconsistent results, with Study 1 (n = 243) suggesting that psychopathy is linked to an implicit self-concept marked by low empathy and Study 2 (n = 230) implying no such relationship. In a sample of offenders and community controls (Study 3a, n = 166), higher scores on the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) were related to an implicit self-concept of being less rather than more antisocial, and the implicit self-concept showed incremental validity compared to the explicit self-concept. The retesting of an offender subsample (Study 3b, n = 47) yielded no evidence for temporal stability or convergent validity. The implicit self-concept of highly psychopathic individuals thus appears to vary, depending on the social context. Future studies should replicate these results in different samples, using additional external correlates.

(1) Background: The dark triad refers to a personality configuration mainly characterized by the presence of Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy. Even though adolescence is a critical stage in the development of dark triad traits, to date, this construct has not been studied among adolescents, mainly due to the lack of a measurement instrument adapted to this population. (2) Methods: Using a sample of 1642 adolescents, an adaptation of the Short Dark Triad (SD3) is proposed for this population. To this end, we performed a confirmatory factor analysis of the scale and examined its reliability and the intensity of the dark triad components by sex and sexual orientation. (3) Results: The adapted version of the scale (The Short Dark Triad-Adolescent Version; SD3-A) yielded good psychometric results. Confirmatory factor analysis corroborated the theoretical model of the three factors of dark personality. The results confirmed the greater presence of dark traits in male adolescents, and differences were observed based on sexual orientation. (4) Conclusions: The Short Dark Triad-Adolescent Version (SD3-A) is an effective and comprehensive instrument for the estimation of dark traits in adolescents and can be used as a screening test for this population.

BACKGROUND: Callous-unemotional traits are associated with the development of severe behavior problems, delinquency, and psychopathy. Previous studies have repeatedly shown that CU traits may be present as early as preschool age, and they have consistently used the Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits (ICU) to assess CU traits in children and adolescents. A three-factor structure for the ICU has been widely endorsed.
METHODS: The aim of our study is to compare the three-factor structure of the ICU in different age groups (preschool, middle childhood, early, and late adolescence) and to test for measurement invariance in a German sample of N = 2368 children and adolescents (M = 11.76 years; SD = 3.72).
RESULTS: The results of our study indicate configural measurement invariance, suggesting that the ICU has the same structure in all age groups but with different meanings, parameters, and mean values in the groups.
CONCLUSIONS: Accordingly, the ICU cannot be applied in the same way to children and adolescents of different age groups, which emphasizes the need for a more differentiated assessment.

Psychopathic traits and the childhood analogue, callous-unemotional traits, have been severely neglected by the research field in terms of mechanistic, falsifiable accounts. This is surprising given that some of the core symptoms of the disorder point towards problems with basic components of associative learning. In this manuscript we describe a new mechanistic account that is concordant with current cognitive theories of psychopathic traits and is also able to replicate previous empirical data. The mechanism we describe is one of individual differences in an index we have called, \"learning window width\". Here we show how variation in this index would result in different outcome expectations which, in turn, would lead to differences in behaviour. The proposed mechanism is intuitive and simple with easily calculated behavioural implications. Our hope is that this model will stimulate discussion and the use of mechanistic and computational accounts to improve our understanding in this area of research.