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CONSTRUCT VALIDITY OF PSYCHOPATHIC PERSONALITY TRAITS
IN A COHORT OF YOUNG TWINS
by
Joshua Isen
_______________________________________________________
A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC GRADUATE SCHOOL
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
(PSYCHOLOGY)
May 2010
Copyright 2010 Joshua Isen
Object Description
| Title | Construct validity of psychopathic personality traits in a cohort of young twins |
| Author | Isen, Joshua |
| Author email | isen@usc.edu; joshisen@hotmail.com |
| Degree | Doctor of Philosophy |
| Document type | Dissertation |
| Degree program | Psychology |
| School | College of Letters, Arts and Sciences |
| Date defended/completed | 2010-03-22 |
| Date submitted | 2010 |
| Restricted until | Unrestricted |
| Date published | 2010-05-08 |
| Advisor (committee chair) | Baker, Laura |
| Advisor (committee member) |
Dawson, Michael Prescott, Carol Shen, Biing-Jiun Trickett, Penelope |
| Abstract | A nomological network of constructs was developed in order to evaluate the construct validity of psychopathy in preadolescent children. Theoretical conceptualizations of psychopathy in adults emphasize its multi-faceted nature; the interpersonal features of psychopathy are thought to be indicative of positive adjustment, whereas the impulsive/behavioral traits are thought to represent risk for maladaptive outcomes. Hence, if psychopathy is a valid construct in children, then different traits should show divergent associations with respect to external criteria.; Subjects were 605 pairs of same-sex and opposite-sex twins recruited from diverse communities throughout Los Angeles. Data were obtained from twins and their caregivers during the 1st wave of an ongoing twin study, when the twins were 9-10 years old. Psychopathy was assessed using a caregiver version of the Childhood Psychopathy Scale (Lynam, 1997). Previous factor-analytic work has shown that the subscales of the CPS can be organized into 2 factors: Charming/Manipulative and Callous/Disinhibited. A general-specific factor model was fit to the data to allow for easier interpretation of the associations between different facets of psychopathy and external criteria.; Construct validity of psychopathy was evaluated using a range of behavioral, cognitive, and psychophysiological measures. The genetic and environmental contributions to the associations with external criteria were examined using standard twin models. The genetic variance that was common to all of the psychopathic traits (i.e., the general factor) was highly correlated with measures of antisocial behavior and inattention/hyperactivity. This general factor was also positively associated with anxiety/depression, particularly in females. General psychopathy was inversely related to IQ and to electrodermal responses, but these associations were modest and mainly confined to males. The interpersonal (Charming/Manipulative) factor of psychopathy, by contrast, was not associated with external criteria in a theoretically expected manner. |
| Keyword | antisocial behavior; preadolescence; psychopathology; psychopathy; twins |
| Geographic subject (city or populated place) | Los Angeles |
| Geographic subject (state) | California |
| Language | English |
| Part of collection | University of Southern California dissertations and theses |
| Publisher (of the original version) | University of Southern California |
| Place of publication (of the original version) | Los Angeles, California |
| Publisher (of the digital version) | University of Southern California. Libraries |
| Provenance | Electronically uploaded by the author |
| Type | texts |
| Legacy record ID | usctheses-m3056 |
| Rights | Isen, Joshua |
| Repository name | Libraries, University of Southern California |
| Repository address | Los Angeles, California |
| Repository email | http://www.usc.edu/isd/libraries/services/ask_a_librarian/email/ |
| Filename | etd-Isen-3641 |
| Archival file | uscthesesreloadpub_Volume29/etd-Isen-3641.pdf |
Description
| Title | Page 1 |
| Full text | CONSTRUCT VALIDITY OF PSYCHOPATHIC PERSONALITY TRAITS IN A COHORT OF YOUNG TWINS by Joshua Isen _______________________________________________________ A Dissertation Presented to the FACULTY OF THE USC GRADUATE SCHOOL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (PSYCHOLOGY) May 2010 Copyright 2010 Joshua Isen |
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