Page 1 |
Save page Remove page | Previous | 1 of 151 | Next |
|
small (250x250 max)
medium (500x500 max)
large ( > 500x500)
Full Resolution
All (PDF)
|
This page
All
|
MULTIPLE INFORMANT-RATED PSYCHOPATHY IN YOUNG
ADOLESCENTS: A MULTITRAIT-MULTIMETHOD INVESTIGATION OF THE
ANTISOCIAL PROCESS SCREENING DEVICE
by
Michelle Tien-Yee Fung
A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
(PSYCHOLOGY)
August 2007
Copyright 2007 Michelle Tien-Yee Fung
Object Description
| Title | Multiple informant-rated psychopathy in young adolescents: a multitrait-multimethod investigation of the Antisocial Process Screening Device |
| Author | Fung, Michelle Tien-Yee |
| Author email | mfung@usc.edu |
| Degree | Doctor of Philosophy |
| Document type | Dissertation |
| Degree program | Psychology |
| School | College of Letters, Arts and Sciences |
| Date defended/completed | 2007-05-07 |
| Date submitted | 2007 |
| Restricted until | Unrestricted |
| Date published | 2007-06-19 |
| Advisor (committee chair) | Trickett, Penelope K. |
| Advisor (committee member) |
Mennen, Ferol E. Manis, Franklin R. Schwartz, David |
| Abstract | The Antisocial Process Screening Device (APSD; Frick & Hare, 2001) has shown promise in identifying psychopathic features in juveniles, but its novel multi-informant format has received little attention to date. This study investigated the psychometric properties of the APSD in adolescents participating in a study on the impact of neglect on development. The first aim of this study was to investigate the theoretical structure of the psychopathy construct in adolescence and to establish a universal form of the APSD across caregiver, teacher, and adolescent-reported data. This was accomplished via restricted structural factor analysis and invariance analyses. The second aim was to examine the construct validity of the multi-informant APSD via correlational and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) multitrait-multimethod (MTMM) procedures. Traits comprised APSD factors, and methods comprised the three informants. The third aim was to investigate relationships between the APSD and aggression, anxiety, and cognitive ability. Results indicated that several items which showed noninvariance between maltreatment and comparison individuals were excluded from the model. A 10-item, 3-factor version of the APSD showed good fit and invariance across sex, maltreatment, and ethnic groups in all three informants. APSD factors resembled the Impulsivity, Narcissism and Callous-Unemotional factors from previous studies, but with fewer items per scale. Factor reliabilities were low, in particular for self-report factors, calling into question the efficacy of self-report information. Convergent validity among traits and limited discriminant validity between traits suggested that the APSD measures a multidimensional construct that appears to tap interpersonal, affective and behavioral features relevant to psychopathy in youth. Substantial method effects also emerged; a large proportion of variance was attributable to the specific informant.; Lastly, the APSD showed some significant relationships with aggression, anxiety and cognitive ability in the hypothesized directions. Patterns of these relationships varied widely across informants and across traits, implying discriminant validity and cautioning against treating informants interchangeably. Overall, this study provides cautious support for the 3-factor APSD as a measure of psychopathic traits in youth, and offers several recommendations to improve efficacy. Research on juvenile psychopathy using measures such as the APSD should proceed with caution until multi-informant measurement is better understood. |
| Keyword | juvenile psychopathy; multitrait-multimethod; psychometric; child maltreatment; Antisocial Process Screening Device |
| 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 |
| Type | texts |
| Legacy record ID | usctheses-m536 |
| Contributing entity | University of Southern California |
| Rights | Fung, Michelle Tien-Yee |
| 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-Fung-20070619 |
| Archival file | uscthesesreloadpub_Volume14/etd-Fung-20070619.pdf |
Description
| Title | Page 1 |
| Contributing entity | University of Southern California |
| Full text | MULTIPLE INFORMANT-RATED PSYCHOPATHY IN YOUNG ADOLESCENTS: A MULTITRAIT-MULTIMETHOD INVESTIGATION OF THE ANTISOCIAL PROCESS SCREENING DEVICE by Michelle Tien-Yee Fung A Dissertation Presented to the FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (PSYCHOLOGY) August 2007 Copyright 2007 Michelle Tien-Yee Fung |
