Proposed Specifiers for Conduct Disorder-Short Version (PSCD-SV): Psychometric Properties, Concurrent Correlates and Parenting Predictors

Child Psychiatry & Human Development, vol. 54, pp. 1258–1273

Abstract

The present study aims to further examine the four-factor model of psychopathy in adolescence with a new alternate model for the assessment of psychopathic traits and conduct disorder (CD): The Proposed Specifiers for Conduct Disorder-Short version (PSCD-SV). Data were collected in a sample of 414 adolescents (49.2% females) aged 12-15 at the first assessment who were then followed-up 2 years later. Results supported the usefulness of the PSCD-SV to assess the broader construct of psychopathy showing good psychometric properties, including adequate reliability and validity, while accounting for all its dimensions. In addition, the study showed close associations between psychopathic traits and adolescent behavioral, emotional and psychosocial maladjustment. Finally, the findings elucidated the PSCD's connection to parental support and psychological control, and reinforced the potential role of parenting practices as predictors that can act as mechanisms of change in the development of psychopathy. Overall, current findings shed light on conceptual and developmental models of psychopathy that may have implications for assessment, diagnostic classification, prevention, and intervention.

Authors 4

1. Laura López‐Romero corresponding

   Universidade de Santiago de Compostela

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Facultad de Psicología, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Campus Sur, 15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain. laura.lopez.romero@usc.es

   Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Facultad de Psicología, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Campus Sur, 15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain

2. Olalla Cutrín

   Universidade de Santiago de Compostela

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Facultad de Psicología, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Campus Sur, 15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain

3. Lorena Maneiro Aachen Institute of Education and Child Studies

   Leiden University · Universidade de Santiago de Compostela

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Facultad de Psicología, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Campus Sur, 15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain

   Institute of Education and Child Studies, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands

4. Randall T. Salekin

   University of Alabama

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Psychology, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, USA