Psychology ETDs

Publication Date

Summer 7-15-2022

Abstract

Researchers have described subtypes of psychopathy including a primary “constitutional” variant influenced largely by biological factors, and a secondary variant “acquired” through environmental factors (e.g., trauma) and associated with elevated internalizing symptoms. This study used latent profile analysis (LPA) in a sample of 297 juvenile male offenders to identify subgroups of incarcerated youth, based on level of psychopathic traits and anxiety, as measured by the Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version (PCL:YV) and Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC), respectively, and explore environmental and neural correlates of resulting groups. Two groups were identified that differed in psychopathic trait level, experience of trauma, temporal pole gray matter volume, and reoffending. This study extends work exploring environmental and neural correlates of psychopathic traits in youth and provides additional support for psychopathic traits as an important predictor of outcomes for justice-involved youth with the hope of informing prevention and intervention efforts.

Degree Name

Psychology

Level of Degree

Doctoral

Department Name

Psychology

First Committee Member (Chair)

Kent Kiehl

Second Committee Member

Barbara McCrady

Third Committee Member

Craig Neumann

Fourth Committee Member

Kamilla Venner

Fifth Committee Member

Gina Vincent

Language

English

Keywords

juvenile, psychopathy, trauma, criminal behavior, recidivism

Document Type

Dissertation

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Psychology Commons

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