Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Examination of Intelligence as a Compensatory Factor in Non-Criminal Psychopathy in a Non-Incarcerated Sample

  • Published:
Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The main goal of the current study was to evaluate intelligence as a compensatory factor in the expression of non-criminal psychopathy. This hypothesis was empirically tested in a moderation framework. Undergraduate students (n = 372) completed the Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised, Shipley-2, and Antisocial Behavior Questionnaire. Results from zero-inflated Poisson regression models indicated that intelligence (particularly verbal intelligence) moderated the relationship between psychopathy and criminality, such that those higher on both psychopathy and intelligence had engaged in less criminal behavior. These findings provide preliminary evidence for the hypothesis that intelligence serves as a compensatory factor for non-criminal psychopathy.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. If the driving while intoxicated item were removed from the ABQ total scores, 42.2 % of the sample would still endorse engaging in some other criminal behavior at least once.

  2. Given the low prevalence rate of individual ABQ items in the current study, such specific analyses could not be conducted here.

  3. For standard ordinary least squares (OLS) regression analysis, quantitative reviews have indicated that the average effect size of an interaction effect using continuous variables is approximately .001 to .003 in R2 change (e.g., Aiken and West 1991; Fairchild and MacKinnon 2009; McClelland and Judd 1993), which requires a large sample size for adequate statistical power. Further compounding this issue is that we are using a non-linear regression model, which requires even more power than standard linear OLS regression.

References

  • Aiken, L. S., & West, S. G. (1991). Multiple Regression: Testing and Interpreting Interactions. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Babiak, P. (1995). When psychopaths go to work: a case study of an industrialized psychopath. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 44, 171–188.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barker, E. D., Tremblay, R. E., van Lier, P., Vitaro, F., Nagin, D. S., Assaad, J., et al. (2010). The neurocognition of conduct disorder behaviors: specificity to physical aggression and theft after controlling for ADHD symptoms. Aggressive Behavior, 35, 1–10.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bartels, J. M., Ryan, J. J., Urban, L. S., & Glass, L. A. (2010). Correlations between estimates of state IQ and FBI crime statistics. Personality and Individual Differences, 48, 579–583.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beaver, K. M., & Wright, J. P. (2011). The association between county-level IQ and county-level crime rates. Intelligence, 39, 22–26.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Benning, S. D., Patrick, C. J., Hicks, B. M., Blonigen, D. M., & Krueger, R. F. (2003). Factor structure of the Psychopathic personality inventory: validity and implications for clinical assessment. Psychological Assessment, 15, 340–350.

    Google Scholar 

  • Benning, S. D., Patrick, C. J., Blonigen, D. M., Hicks, B. M., & Iacono, W. G. (2005). Estimating facets of psychopathy from normal personality traits: A step toward community epidemiological investigations. Assessment, 12, 3–18.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berman, A., & Siegal, A. W. (1976). Adaptive and learning skills in juvenile delinquents: a neuropsychological analysis. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 9, 583–590.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cleckley, H. (1941/1976). The mask of sanity. Augusta, GA: Emily S. Cleckley.

  • Cohen, J. (1992). A power primer. Psychological Bulletin, 112, 155–159.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coid, J., Yang, M., Ullrich, S., Robert, A., Moran, P., Bebbington, P., et al. (2009). Psychopathy among prisoners in England and Wales. International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 32, 134–141.

    Google Scholar 

  • Culberton, F. M., Feral, C. H., & Gabby, S. (1989). Pattern analysis of wechsler intelligence scale for children-revised profiles of delinquent boys. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 45, 651–660.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fairchild, A. J., & MacKinnon, D. P. (2009). A general model of testing mediation and moderation effects. Prevention Science, 10, 87–99.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gao, Y., & Raine, A. (2010). Successful and unsuccessful psychopaths: a neurobiological model. Behavioral Sciences & the Law, 28, 194–210.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hall, J. R., & Benning, S. D. (2006). The “successful” psychopath: Adaptive and subclinical manifestations of psychopathy in the general population. In C. J. Patrick (Ed.), Handbook of psychopathy. New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hare, R. D. (1996). Psychopathy: a clinical construct whose time has come. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 23, 25–54.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hare, R. D. (1999). Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us. New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hare, R. D. (2003). Hare Psychopathy Checklist-revised manual (2nd ed.). Toronto: Multi-Health Systems.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hare, R. D., & Neumann, C. S. (2008). Psychopathy as a clinical and empirical construct. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 4, 217–246.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hare, R. D., & Neumann, C. S. (2010). The role of antisociality in the psychopathy construct: comment on Skeem and Cooke (2010). Psychological Assessment, 22, 446–454.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hart, S. D., Cox, D. N., & Hare, R. D. (1995). The Hare Psychopathy Checklist: Screening version. Toronto, ON: Multi-Health Systems.

  • Heinzen, H., Kohler, D., Godt, N., Geiger, F., & Huchzermeier, C. (2011). Psychopathy, intelligence, and conviction history. International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 34, 336–340.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hicks, B. M., Patrick, C. J., Krueger, R. F., & Newman, J. P. (2004). Identifying psychopathy subtypes on the basis of personality structure. Psychological Assessment, 16, 276–288.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hirschi, T., Hindelang, M. J., & Weis, J. G. (1980). The status of self-report measures. In M. W. Klein & K. S. Teilman (Eds.), Handbook of criminal justice evaluation (pp. 473–488). Beverly Hills: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ishikawa, S. S., Raine, A., Lencz, T., Bihrle, S., & Lacasse, L. (2001). Autonomic stress reactivity and executive functions in successful and unsuccessful criminal psychopaths from the community. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 110, 423–432.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kastner, R. M., & Sellbom, M. (2012). Hypersexuality in College Students: the role of psychopathy. Personality and Individual Differences, 53, 644–649.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kastner, R. M., Sellbom, M., & Lilienfeld, S. O. (2012). A comparison of the psychometric properties of the psychopathic personality inventory full-length and short-form versions. Psychological Assessment, 24, 261–267.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lilienfeld, S. O., & Andrews, B. P. (1996). Development and preliminary validation of a self report measure of psychopathic personality traits in noncriminal populations. Journal of Personality Assessment, 66, 488–524.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lilienfeld, S. O., & Widows, M. R. (2005). Psychopathic Personality Inventory- Revised Professional Manual. Lutz: Psychological Assessment Resources.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lilienfeld, S. O., & Fowler, K. A. (2006). The self-report assessment of psychopathy: Problems, pitfalls, and promises. In C. J. Patrick (Ed.), Handbook of psychopathy. New York: Guilford Press.

  • Lilienfeld, S. O., Patrick, C. J., Benning, S. D., Berg, J., Sellbom, M., & Edens, J. F. (2012). The role of fearless dominance in psychopathy: Confusions, controversies, and clarifications. Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment, 3, 327–340.

  • Lipsitt, P. D., Buka, S. L., & Lipsitt, L. P. (1990). Early intelligence scores and subsequent delinquency: a prospective study. American Journal of Family Therapy, 18, 197–208.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lynam, D. R., & Miller, J. D. (2012). Fearless dominance and psychopathy: a response to Lilienfeld et al. Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment, 3, 341–353.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lynam, D., Moffitt, T., & Stouthamer-Loeber, M. (1993). Explaining the relation between IQ and delinquency: class, race, test motivation, school failure, or self-control? Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 102, 187–196.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lynam, D. R., Whiteside, S., & Jones, S. (1999). Self-reported psychopathy: a validation study. Journal of Personality Assessment, 73, 110–132.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Marcus, D. K., Fulton, J. J., & Edens, J. F. (2013). The two-factor model of psychopathic personality: Evidence from the Psychopathic Personality Inventory. Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment, 4, 67–76. doi:10.1037/a0025282

  • McClelland, G. H., & Judd, C. M. (1993). Statistical difficulties of detecting interactions and moderator effects. Psychological Bulletin, 114, 376–390.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McCord, W., & McCord, J. (1964). The psychopath: An essay on the criminal mind. Princeton: Van Nostrand.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller, J. D., & Lynam, D. R. (2012). An examination of the Psychopathic Personality Inventory's nomological network: A meta-analytic review. Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment, 3, 305–326.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moffitt, T. E., & Henry, B. (1991). Neuropsychological studies of juvenile delinquency and juvenile violence. In J. S. Milner (Ed.), Neuropsychology of Aggression. Boston: Kluwer Academic Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Muñoz, L. C., Frick, P. J., Kimonis, E. R., & Aucoin, K. J. (2008). Verbal ability and delinquency: testing the moderating role of psychopathic traits. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 49, 414–421.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Neumann, C. S., & Hare, R. D. (2008). Psychopathic traits in a large community sample: links to violence, alcohol use, and intelligence. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 76, 893–899.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pinel, P. (1801). Traite medico-philosophique sur l’alienation mentale. Paris: Caille et Ravier.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pritchard, J. C. (1835). A treatise on insanity. New York: Hafner.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rock, R.C., Sellbom, M., Ben-Porath, Y.S., & Salekin, R.T. (2013). Concurrent and Predictive Validity of Psychopathy in a Batterers Intervention Sample. Law and Human Behavior, 37, (3):145–154. doi:10.1037/lhb0000006

  • Ross, S. R., Benning, S. D., & Adams, Z. (2007). Symptoms of executive dysfunction are endemic to secondary psychopathy: an examination in criminal offenders and noninstitutionalized young adults. Journal of Personality Disorders, 21, 384–399.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Salekin, R. T., Neumann, C. S., Leistico, A. R., & Zalot, A. A. (2004). Psychopathy in youth and intelligence: an investigation of Cleckley’s hypothesis. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 33, 731–742.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sandoval, A. R., Hancock, D., Poythress, N., Edens, J. F., & Lilienfeld, S. (2000). Construct validity of the Psychopathic Personality Inventory in a correctional sample. Journal of Personality Assessment, 74, 262–281.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sellbom, M. (2011). Elaboration on the construct validity of the Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale in incarcerated and non-incarcerated samples. Law and Human Behavior, 35, 440–451.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sellbom, M., & Verona, E. (2004). Differential neuropsychological mechanisms for two psychopathy factors. Poster presented at the 19th Annual Meeting for the Society for Research in Psychopathology, St. Louis, MO.

  • Sellbom, M., & Verona, E. (2007). Neuropsychological correlates of psychopathic traits in a non-incarcerated sample. Journal of Research in Personality, 41, 276–294.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sellbom, M., Ben-Porath, Y. S., Patrick, C. J., Wygant, D. B., Gartland, D. M., & Stafford, K. P. (2012). Development and construct validation of MMPI-2-RF indices of global psychopathy, fearless-dominance, and impulsive-antisociality. Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment, 3, 17–38.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shipley, W. C., Gruber, C. P., Martin, T. A., & Klein, A. M. (2009). Shipley-2 Manual. Los Angeles: Western Psychological Services.

    Google Scholar 

  • Skeem, J. L., & Cooke, D. J. (2010). Is criminal behavior a central component of psychopathy? Conceptual directions for resolving the debate. Psychological Assessment, 22, 433–445.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vermeiren, R., De Clippele, A., Schwab-Stone, M., & Ruchkin, V. (2002). Neuropsychological characteristics of three subgroups of Flemish delinquent adolescents. Neuropsychology, 16, 49–55.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Verona, E., & Vitale, J. (2006). Psychopathy in women. In C. J. Patrick (Ed.), Handbook of Psychopathy. New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Walsh, A., Petee, T. A., & Beyer, J. A. (1987). Intellectual imbalance and delinquency: comparing high verbal and high performance IQ delinquents. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 14, 370–379.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Widom, C. S. (1977). A methodology for studying noninstitutionalized psychopaths. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 45, 674–683.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. Tina D. Wall

    Present address: Department of Psychology, University of New Orleans, New Orleans, LA, USA

  2. Martin Sellbom

    Present address: Research School of Psychology, The Australian National University, Building 39, Canberra, ACT, 0200, Australia

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, KY, USA

    Tina D. Wall

  2. Department of Psychology, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA

    Martin Sellbom & Brandee E. Goodwin

Authors
  1. Tina D. Wall
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Martin Sellbom
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Brandee E. Goodwin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Martin Sellbom.

Additional information

Portions of this article were used for the fulfillment of Tina Wall’s honors thesis under the supervision of Dr. Sellbom at The University of Alabama.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Wall, T.D., Sellbom, M. & Goodwin, B.E. Examination of Intelligence as a Compensatory Factor in Non-Criminal Psychopathy in a Non-Incarcerated Sample. J Psychopathol Behav Assess 35, 450–459 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10862-013-9358-1

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10862-013-9358-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation