There is no author summary for this article yet. Authors can add summaries to their articles on ScienceOpen to make them more accessible to a non-specialist audience.
Abstract
Psychopathy is characterized by diverse indicators. Clinical accounts have emphasized
3 distinct facets: interpersonal, affective, and behavioral. Research using the Psychopathy
Checklist--Revised (PCL-R), however, has emphasized a 2-factor model. A review of
the literature on the PCL-R and related measures of psychopathy, together with confirmatory
factor analysis of PCL-R data from North American participants, indicates that the
2-factor model cannot be sustained. A 3-factor hierarchical model was developed in
which a coherent superordinate factor, Psychopathy, is underpinned by 3 factors: Arrogant
and Deceitful Interpersonal Style, Deficient Affective Experience, and Impulsive and
Irresponsible Behavioral Style. The model was cross-validated on North American and
Scottish PCL-R data, Psychopathy Screening Version data, and data derived from the
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; American Psychiatric
Association, 1994) antisocial personality disorder field trial.