Concurrent Validity of the Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised and the Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version in an Australian Offender Sample

• NCJ Number: 243532
• Journal: Criminal Justice and Behavior Volume: 40 Issue: 7 Dated: July 2013 Pages: 802-813
• Author(s): Melissa A. Hughes; Julie C. Stout; Mairead C. Dolan
• Date Published: July 2013
• Length: 12 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study compared the Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version (PCL:SV) and PPI-R in a sample of Australian prisoners (n = 48) to determine the correspondence between the measures in characterizing psychopathy.

Abstract

The Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) and derivatives, designed for use in offender samples, have proven psychometric properties but are resource intensive and difficult to use in nonincarcerated samples. The Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised (PPI-R) is a well-validated self-report measure, used in community samples, but there is limited data on its correspondence with the PCL-R. This study compared the Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version (PCL:SV) and PPI-R in a sample of Australian prisoners (n = 48) to determine the correspondence between the measures in characterizing psychopathy. The study also conducted an Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) of the PPI-R's subscales. While strong relationships were found between the total scores of the two measures (r = .554), correspondence between the dimensions was poor. EFA did not support the two-factor solution. The findings question the degree to which one can assume that these measures capture the same construct and highlight the need for further research delineating the PPI-R's factor structure. Abstract published by arrangement with Sage.