Revisiting Lynam's notion of the "fledgling psychopath": are HIA-CP children truly psychopathic-like?

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In his developmental model of emerging psychopathy, Lynam proposed that the "fledgling psychopath" is most likely to be located within a subgroup of children elevated in both hyperactivity/inattention/impulsivity (HIA) and conduct problems (CP). This approach has garnered some empirical support. However, the extent to which Lynam's model captures children who resemble psychopathy with regard to the core affective and interpersonal features remains unclear.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In the present study, we investigated this issue within a large community sample of youth (<it>N </it>= 617). Four groups (non-HIA-CP, HIA-only, CP-only, and HIA-CP), defined on the basis of teacher reports of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), were compared with respect to parent-reported psychopathic-like traits and subjective emotional reactivity in response to unpleasant, emotionally-laden pictures from the International Affective Pictures System (IAPS).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Results did not support Lynam's model. HIA-CP children did not appear most psychopathic-like on dimensions of callous-unemotional and narcissistic personality, nor did they report reduced emotional reactivity to the IAPS relative to the other children. Post-hoc regression analyses revealed a significant moderation such that elevated HIA weakened the association between CP and emotional underarousal.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Implications of these findings with regard to the development of psychopathy are discussed.</p

Sensitivity to facial affect in personality-disordered batterers : expression recognition and physiological responses

Antisocial/psychopathic individuals have been shown to exhibit emotional insensitivity, both in terms of social cognitive deficits and reduced physiological responding. Conversely, borderline personality has been characterized by heightened emotional sensitivity. The aim of this study was to examine whether men exhibit distinct deficits/sensitivities to social-affective stimuli as a function of intimate partner violence (IPV) and personality disorder traits. These deficits/sensitivities were evaluated with respect to (1) accuracy in identifying facial expressions and (2) physiological responsiveness (HR and SCR) when presented with a well-standardized set of facial stimuli (Ekman & Friesen, 1976). The effect of personality disorder was assessed in two ways: (1) categorically using clinician-rated DSM-IV personality disorder diagnoses (Antisocial and Borderline Personality Disorders) and (2) dimensionally using self-report measures of personality disorder traits and psychological functioning pertinent to personality disorder status. Results revealed no group differences on any of the outcomes when differentiating IPV men based on DSM-IV personality disorder classification. Only when batterers were categorized via severity of violence did some group differences emerge. Additionally, when the facial affect and physiological criteria were investigated dimensionally, some expected associations emerged. Borderline and antisocial traits correlated positively while psychopathy Factor 1 (fearless dominance) traits correlated negatively with SCR magnitude across a number of facial affects.Psychology, Department o

From Outside-In to Inside-Out: A Qualitative Analysis of Childhood Motivation by Achievers in AWANA Programs

This study explored the motivational factors of elementary students participating in AWANA, an evangelical Christian religious club. A qualitative research design was employed to gather data from 52 participants in six states. Participants consisted of 24 male and 28 female sixth grade students in the final year of club participation who were eligible to complete the program in Spring 2004. Involvement with AWANA entails Scripture memory and other character-building activities. Data collection consisted of semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions regarding their overall club experience and motivation. Results were analyzed to assess motivational factors contributing to long-term club participation and completion of the program. By long-term, we indicate that the majority of students had participated in the program enough years to complete the required books for the Timothy Award. Overall, we found that award recipients began AWANA with an outside-in, or extrinsic, motivation. However, by the time they achieved their awards, they seemed to have converted to more of an inside-out, or intrinsic, motivation. </jats:p

A Multitrait—Multimethod Examination of the Reynolds Intellectual Assessment Scales in a College Sample

This study assessed trait validity of the Reynolds Intellectual Assessment Scales’ (RIAS) Verbal Index (VIX) and Nonverbal Index (NIX) scores in a group of college students. Using both observation of patterns and latent variable modeling of a multitrait—multimethod correlation/covariance matrix, the results indicate that the RIAS VIX scores behaved in a manner predicted from the theory behind their construction; namely, they related strongly to other measures of crystallized intelligence ( Gc) and, together, they formed a salient Gc factor. The NIX scores, however, did not behave as predicted—showing as strong, or stronger, associations with measures of Gc than measures of fluid intelligence. Although more studies of this type are needed across different samples before making broad generalizations, the results from the present study support the use and interpretation of the RIAS VIX score, but not the NIX score. </jats:p

A Multitrait-Multimethod examination of the Reynolds Intellectual Assessment Scales in a College Sample

This study assessed trait validity of the Reynolds Intellectual Assessment Scales’ (RIAS) Verbal Index (VIX) and Nonverbal Index (NIX) scores in a group of college students. Using both observation of patterns and latent variable modeling of a multitrait—multimethod correlation/covariance matrix, the results indicate that the RIAS VIX scores behaved in a manner predicted from the theory behind their construction; namely, they related strongly to other measures of crystallized intelligence (Gc) and, together, they formed a salient Gc factor. The NIX scores, however, did not behave as predicted—showing as strong, or stronger, associations with measures of Gc than measures of fluid intelligence. Although more studies of this type are needed across different samples before making broad generalizations, the results from the present study support the use and interpretation of the RIAS VIX score, but not the NIX score

Predicting IQ from the SAT: A Cross-validation Study

In 2004, Frey and Detterman developed regression equations to predict IQ based on SAT scores. There has been some debate over the equations’ applicability, with the conclusion being that the models need tested to assess their accuracy. Consequently, the purpose of this study is to cross-validate the regression equations