Assessing the stability of psychopathic traitsAdolescent outcomes in a six-year follow-up

  1. López Romero, Laura 1
  2. Romero Triñanes, Estrella 1
  3. Villar Torres, Paula 1
  1. 1 Universidade de Santiago de Compostela
    info

    Universidade de Santiago de Compostela

    Santiago de Compostela, España

    ROR https://ror.org/030eybx10

Revista:
The Spanish Journal of Psychology

ISSN: 1138-7416

Ano de publicación: 2014

Volume: 17

Páxinas: 1-11

Tipo: Artigo

DOI: 10.1017/SJP.2014.93 DIALNET GOOGLE SCHOLAR lock_openAcceso aberto editor

Outras publicacións en: The Spanish Journal of Psychology

Obxectivos de Desenvolvemento Sustentable

Resumo

Previous research has shown the relevance of psychopathic traits as predictors of severe and persistent antisocial behavior. Given that personality traits refer to developmental constructs, the main purposes of this study were to analyze the stability of psychopathic traits from childhood to adolescence, and to examine differential outcomes derived from distinctive pathways of stability and change. Data was collected in a Spanish sample of 138 children aged 6�11 at the onset of the study (T1), and 12�17 in the subsequent follow-up conducted 6 years later (T2). The stability of psychopathic traits was assessed in terms of differential continuity (rank-order), absolute stability (mean-level) and individual-level change (Reliable Change Index). Results confirmed that psychopathic traits remained moderately to highly stable from childhood to adolescence (p < .001). There were, however, some differences depending on the informant (parents vs. teachers) and the particular assessment method used (rank order vs. mean-level and RCI). A stable high and an increasing developmental pattern of psychopathic traits were related with severe adolescent behavioral and psychosocial problems (?² = .10�.36). These results support the usefulness of youth psychopathic personality as a developmental construct, and highlight its relevance as a predictor of long-lasting maladjustment, with relevant implications in terms of prevention and treatment.

Referencias bibliográficas

  • Achenbach T. M. (1991a). Manual for the Child Behavior Checklist and 1991 profle. Burlington, Canada: University of Vermont.
  • Achenbach T. M. (1991b). Manual for the Teacher's Report Form and 1991 Profle. Burlington, Canada: University of Vermont.
  • Andershed H. (2010). Stability and change of psychopathic traits: What do we know? In R. T. Salekin & D. T. Lynam (Eds.), Handbook of child and adolescent psychopathy (pp. 233-250). New York, NY: The Guilford Press.
  • American Psychiatric Association. (2000). The diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th Ed., Rev.). Washington, DC: APA.
  • American Psychiatric Association. (2013). The diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th Ed.). Washington, DC: APA.
  • Baardewijk Y. V., Vermeiren R., Stegge H., & Doreleijers T. (2011). Self-reported psychopathic traits in children: Their stability and concurrent and prospective association with conduct problems and aggression. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 33, 236-245. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10862-010-9215-4
  • Barry T. D., Barry C. T., Deming A. M., & Lochman J. E. (2008). Stability of psychopathic characteristics in childhood: The infuence of social relationships. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 35, 244-262. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0093854807310508
  • Branje S. J. T., van Lieshout C. F. M., & Gerris J. R. M. (2007). Big fve personality development in adolescence and adulthood. European Journal of Personality, 21, 45-62. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/per.596
  • Brislin R. W. (1970). Back-translation for cross-cultural research. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 1, 185-216. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/135910457000100301
  • Caldwell M. F., McCormick D., Wolfe J., & Umstead D. (2012). Treatment-related changes in psychopathy features and behavior in adolescent offenders. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 39, 144-155. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0093854811429542
  • Caldwell M., Skeem J. L., Salekin R. T., & Van Rybroek G. (2006). Treatment response of adolescents offenders with psychopathy features: A 2-year follow-up. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 33, 571-596. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0093854806288176
  • Christensen L., & Mendoza J. L. (1986). A method of assessing change in a single subject: An alteration of the RC index. Behavior Therapy, 17, 305-308. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S005-7894(86)80060-0
  • Cohen J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd Ed.). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
  • Conduct Problems Prevention Research Group (1995). Social Competence Scale (Parent Version). University Park, PA: Pennsylvania State University.
  • Conners C. K. (1997). Conners Rating Scales-Revised. Toronto, Canada: Multi-Health System.
  • De Fruyt F. D., Bartels M., Van Leeuwen K. G., De Clercq B., Decuyper M., & Mervielde I. (2006). Five types of personality continuity in childhood and adolescence. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 91, 538-552. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.91.3.538
  • DeLisi M., Vaughn M., Beaver K. M., Wexler J., Barth A. E., & Fletcher J. M. (2011). Fleding psychopathy in the classroom: ADHD subtypes, psychopathy, and reading comprehension in a community sample of adolescents. Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice, 9, 43-58. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1541204010371932
  • Dodge K. A., & Coie J. D. (1987). Social information processing factors in reactive and proactive aggression in children's peer groups. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 53, 1146-1158. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.53.6.1146
  • Edens J. F., Skeem J. L., Cruise K. R., & Cauffman E. (2001). Assessment of "juvenile psychopathy" and its association with violence: A critical review. Behavioral Sciences and the Law, 19, 53-80. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/bsl.425.abs
  • Fontaine N. M. G., McCrory E. J., Boivin M., Mofftt T. E., & Viding E. (2011). Predictors and outcomes of joint trajectories of callous-unemotional traits and conduct problems in childhood. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 120, 730-742. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0022620
  • Fontaine N. M. G., Rijsdijk F. V., McCrory E. J. P., & Viding E. (2010). Etiology of different developmental trajectories of callous-unemotional traits. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 49, 656-664. http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/00004583-201007000-00006
  • Fraley R. C., & Roberts B. W. (2005). Patterns of continuity: A dynamic model for conceptualizing the stability of individual differences in psychological constructs across the life course. Psychological Review, 112, 60-74. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.112.1.60
  • Frick P. J., Barry C. T., & Kamphaus R. W. (2010). Clinical Assessment of child and adolescent personality and behavior. New York, NY: Springer.
  • Frick P. J., & Hare R. D. (2001). Antisocial process screening device. Toronto, Canada: Multi-Health Systems.
  • Frick P. J., Kimonis E. R., Dandreaux D. M., & Farell J. M. (2003). The 4-year stability of psychopathic traits in non-referred youth. Behavioral Sciences and the Law, 21, 713-736. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/bsl.568
  • Frick P. J., Ray J. V., Thornton L. C., & Kahn R. E. (2013). Can callous-unemotional traits enhance the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of serious conduct problems in children and adolescents? A comprehensive review. Psychological Bulletin. 140, 1-57. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0033076
  • Haas S., Waschbusch D., Pelham W., King S., Andrade B., & Carrey N. (2011). Treatment response in CP/ADHD children with callous/unemotional traits. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology. 39, 541-552. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10802-010-9480-4
  • Harris G. T., & Rice M. E. (2006). Treatment of psychopathy: A review of empirical fndings. In C. Patrick (Ed.), Handbook of psychopathy (pp. 555-572). New York, NY: Guildford Press.
  • Herpers P. C. M., Rommelse N. N. J., Bons D. M. A., Buitelaar J. K., & Scheepers F. E. (2012). Callous-unemotional traits as a cross-disorders construct. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 47, 2045-2064.
  • Jacobson N. S., & Truax P. (1991). Clinical signifcance: A statistical approach to defning meaningful change in psychotherapy research. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 59, 12-19. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.59.1.12
  • López-Romero L., Romero E., & Luengo M. A. (2012). Disentangling the role of psychopathic traits and externalizing behavior in predicting conduct problems from childhood to adolescence. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 41, 1397-1408. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10964-012-9800-9
  • Lynam D. R. (1997). Pursuing the psychopath: Capturing the fedgling psychopath in a nomological net. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 106, 425-438. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037//0021-843X.106.3.425
  • Lynam D. R., Caspi A., Mofftt T. E., Loeber R., & Stouthamer-Loeber M. (2007). Longitudinal evidence that psychopathy scores in early adolescence predict adult psychopathy. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 116, 155-165. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0021-843X.116.1.155
  • Lynam D. R., Charnigo R., Mofftt T. E., Raine A., Loeber R., & Stouthamer-Loeber M. (2009). The stability of psychopathy across adolescence. Development and Psychopathology, 21, 1133-1153. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0954579409990083
  • Lynam D. R., & Gudonis L. (2005). The development of psychopathy. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 1, 381-407. http://dx.doi.org/10.1146/annurev.clinpsy.1.102803.144019
  • Maassen G. H. (2001). The unreliable change of reliable change indices. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 39, 495-498. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0005-7967(00)00029-2
  • Marsee M. A., & Frick P. J. (2010). Callous unemotional traits and aggression in youth. In A. William & L. Elizabeth (Eds.), Emotions, aggression and morality in children: Bridging development and psychopathology (pp. 137-156). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
  • McCrae R. R., Costa P. T., Terracciano A., Parker W. D., Mills C. J., De Fruyt F., & Mervielde I. (2002). Personality trait development from age 12 to age 18: Longitudinal, cross-sectional, and cross-cultural analyses. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 83, 1456-1468. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.83.6.1456
  • McDonald R., Dodson M. C., Rosenfeld D., & Jouriles E. N. (2011). Effects of a parenting intervention on features of psychopathy in children. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 39, 1013-1023. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10802-011-9512-8
  • McMahon R. J., Witkiewitz K., & Kotler J. S. (2010). Predictive validity of callous-unemotional traits measured in early adolescence with respect to multiple antisocial outcomes. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 119, 752-763. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0020796
  • Moya J., Viruela S., Mezquita L., Villa H., Ibáñez M. I., & Ortet G. (2013). Stability and change of personality in adolescents: A 4-year longitudinal study. In F. Morales-Vives & L. E. R. Blakie (Chairs), Stability and change in personality across time and non-normative life events. Symposium conducted at the biannual meeting of International Society for the Study of Individual Differences. Barcelona, Spain.
  • Muñoz L. C., & Frick P. J. (2007). The reliability, stability, and predictive utility of the self-report version of the Antisocial Process Screening Device. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 48, 299-312. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9450.2007.00560.x
  • Obradović J., Pardini D. A., Long J. D., & Loeber R. (2007). Measuring interpersonal callousness in boys from childhood to adolescence: An examination of longitudinal invariance and temporal stability. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 36, 276-292. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15374410701441633
  • Pardini D. A., Lochman J. E., & Powell N. (2007). The development of callous-unemotional traits and antisocial behavior in children: Are there shared and/or unique predictors? Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 36, 319-333. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15374410701444215
  • Pardini D. A., & Loeber R. (2008). Interpersonal callousness trajectories across adolescence: Early social infuences and adult outcomes. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 35, 173-196. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0093854807310157
  • Parra A., & Oliva A. (2009). A longitudinal research on the development of emotional autonomy during adolescence. The Spanish Journal of Psychology, 12, 66-75. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1138741600001487
  • Ribeiro da Silva D., Rijo D., & Salekin R. T. (2012). Child and adolescent psychopathy: A state-of-the-art refection on the construct and etiological theories. Journal of Criminal Justice, 40, 269-277. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2012.05.005
  • Roberts B. W., Caspi A., & Mofftt T. E. (2001). The kids are alright: Growth and stability in personality development from adolescence to adulthood. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 81, 670-683. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.81.4.670
  • Roberts B. W., & DelVecchio W. F. (2000). The rank-order consistency of personality traits from childhood to old age: A quantitative review of longitudinal studies. Psychological Bulletin, 126, 3-25. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037//0033-2909.126.1.3
  • Roberts B. W., Wood D., & Caspi A. (2008). The development of personality traits in adulthood. In O. P. Jonh, R. W. Robins & L. A. Pervin (Eds.), Handbook of personality: Theory and research (pp. 375-398). New York, NY: Guilford Press.
  • Robins R. W., Fraley C., Roberts B. W., & Trzesniewski K. (2001). A longitudinal study of personality change in young adulthood. Journal of Personality, 69, 617-640. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1467-6494.694157
  • Romero E. (2001). El constructo psicopatía en la infancia y adolescencia: Del trastorno de conducta a la personalidad antisocial [The construct of psychopathy in childhood and adolescence: From conduct disorder to antisocial personality disorder]. Anuario de Psicología, 32, 25-49.
  • Romero E., Luengo M. A., Gómez-Fraguela J. A., Sobral J., & Villar P. (2005). Evaluación de la psicopatía infanto-juvenil: Estudio en una muestra de niños institucionalizados [Assessing child and youth psychopathy: A study in a simple of institutionalized children]. Anuario de Psicología Jurídica, 15, 23-37.
  • Rowe R., Maughan B., Moran P., Ford T., Briskman J., & Goodman R. (2010). The role of callous-unemotional traits in the diagnosis of conduct disorders. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 51, 688-695. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.2009.02199.x
  • Rutherford M., Cacciola J. S., Alterman A. I., McKay J. R., & Cook T. G. (1999). The 2-year test-retest reliability of the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised in methadone patients. Assessment, 6, 285-291. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/107319119900600308
  • Salekin R. T. (2010). Treatment of child and adolescent psychopathy: Focusing on change. In R. T. Salekin, & D. T Lynam. (Eds.), Handbook of child and adolescent psychopathy (pp. 343-373). New York, NY: The Guilford Press.
  • Salekin R. T., & Lochman J. E. (2008). Child and adolescent psychopathy: The search for protective factors. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 35, 159-172. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0093854807311330
  • Salekin R. T., Rosenbaum J., & Lee Z. (2008). Child and adolescent psychopathy: Stability and change. Psychiatry, Psychology and Law, 15, 224-236. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13218710802014519
  • Seagrave D., & Grisso T. (2002). Adolescent development and the measurement of juvenile psychopathy. Law and Human Behavior, 26, 219-239. http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1014696110850
  • Somech L. Y., & Elizur Y. (2012). Promoting self-regulation and cooperation in pre-kindergarten children with conduct problems: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 51, 412-422. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2012.01.019
  • Waller R., Gardner F., Hyde L. W., Shaw D. S., Dishion T. J., & Wilson M. N. (2012). Do harsh and positive parenting predict parent reports of deceitful-callous behavior in early childhood? Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 53, 946-953. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.2012.02550.x
  • Willoughby M. T., Waschbusch D. A., Moore G. A., & Propper C. B. (2011). Using the ASEBA to screen for callous-unemotional traits in early childhood: Factor structure, temporal stability, and utility. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 33, 19-30. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10862-010-9195-4
Fonte de datos: Dialnet