Skip to main content
Log in

Factor Structure and Construct Validity of the Dutch Version of the Antisocial Process Screening Device

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

Abstract

The goal of the present study was to evaluate the factor structure and construct validity of the Antisocial Process Screening Device (APSD) in a community sample of Dutch adolescents. Confirmatory factor analyses supported the two- and three-factor model, but the two-factor model (Callous-Unemotional and Impulsivity/Conduct Problems) was more parsimonious. Model fit was invariant across gender. Interrater reliability was good and internal consistency of the factors was modest to good, with the exception of the Callous-Unemotional factor. Convergence with the APSD self-report version, divergence with the Big Five personality dimensions of Agreeableness and Conscientiousness, and expected gender differences in mean APSD scores reproduced findings obtained in American samples, supporting the cross-cultural validity of the APSD.

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

Access this article

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

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Andershed, H., Kerr, M., Stattin, H., & Levander, S. (2002). Psychopathic traits in non-referred youths: initial test of a new assessment tool. In E. Blaauw & L. Sheridan (Eds.), Psychopaths: Current international perspectives (pp. 131–158). The Hague: Elsevier.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bijttebier, P., & Decoene, S. (2009). Assessment of psychopathic traits in children and adolescents: further validation of the Antisocial Process Screening Device and the Childhood Psychopathy Scale. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 25, 157–163.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blair, R. J. R. (2008). Fine cuts of empathy and the amygdala: dissociable deficits in psychopathy and autism. The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 61, 157–170.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Blonigen, D. M., Patrick, C. J., Douglas, K. S., Poythress, N. G., Skeem, J. L., Lilienfeld, S. O., et al. (2010). Multimethod assessment of psychopathy in relation to factors of internalizing and externalizing from the personality assessment inventory: the impact of method variance and suppressor effects. Psychological Assessment, 22, 96–107.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Branje, S. J. T., van Lieshout, C. F. M., & van Aken, M. A. G. (2004). Relations between Big Five personality characteristics and perceived support in adolescents’ families. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 86, 615–628.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Brinkley, C. A., Newman, J. P., Widiger, T. A., & Lynam, D. R. (2004). Two approaches to parsing the heterogeneity of psychopathy. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 11, 69–94.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burke, J. D., Loeber, R., & Lahey, B. B. (2007). Adolescent conduct disorder and interpersonal callousness as predictors of psychopathy in young adults. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 36, 334–346.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cale, E. M., & Lilienfeld, S. O. (2002). Sex differences in psychopathy and antisocial personality disorder: a review and integration. Clinical Psychology Review, 22, 1179–1207.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, F. F. (2007). Sensitivity of goodness of fit indexes to lack of measurement invariance. Structural Equation Modeling, 14, 464–504.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cheung, G. W., & Rensvold, R. B. (2002). Evaluating goodness-of-fit indexes for testing measurement invariance. Structural Equation Modeling, 9, 233–255.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Christian, R. E., Frick, P. J., Hill, N. L., Tyler, L., & Frazer, D. R. (1997). Psychopathy and conduct problems in children: II. Implications for subtyping children with conduct problems. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 36, 233–241.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cooke, D. J., & Michie, C. (2001). Refining the construct of psychopathy: towards a hierarchical model. Psychological Assessment, 13, 171–188.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cortina, J. M. (1993). What is coefficient alpha? An examination of theory and applications. Journal of Applied Psychology, 78, 98–104.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Costa, P. T., & McCrae, R. R. (1990). Personality disorders and the Five-Factor model of personality. Journal of Personality Disorders, 4, 362–371.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cross, S. E., & Madson, L. (1997). Models of the self: self-construals and gender. Psychological Bulletin, 122, 5–37.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Czar, K. A., Dahlen, E. R., Bullock, E. E., & Nicholson, B. C. (2011). Psychopathic personality traits in relational aggression among young adults. Aggressive Behavior, 37, 207–214.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dadds, M. R., Hawes, D. J., Frost, A. D. J., Vassallo, S., Bunn, P., Hunter, K., et al. (2009). Learning to ‘talk the talk’: the relationship of psychopathic traits to deficits in empathy across childhood. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 50, 599–606.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Das, J., De Ruiter, C., Van Heteren, M., & Doreleijers, T. (2004). Psychopathie bij kinderen en jeugdigen: Stand van zaken en diagnostische instrumenten [Psychopathy in children and youths: current status and diagnostic instruments.]. Tijdschrift voor Orthopedagogiek, Kinderpsychiatrie en Klinische Kinderpsychologie, 29, 30–42.

    Google Scholar 

  • Decuyper, M., de Pauw, S., de Fruyt, F., de Bolle, M., & de Clercq, B. J. (2009). A meta-analysis of psychopathy-, antisocial PD- and FFM associations. European Journal of Personality, 23, 531–565.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dillard, C. L., Salekin, R. T., Barker, E. D., & Grimes, R. D. (2013). Psychopathy in adolescent offenders: an item response theory study of the Antisocial Process Screening Device-self report and the Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version. Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment, 4, 101–120.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Falkenbach, D. M., Poythress, N., & Heide, K. M. (2003). Psychopathic features in a juvenile diversion population: reliability and predictive validity of two self-report measures. Behavioral Sciences and the Law, 21, 787–805.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fite, P. J., Greening, L., Stoppelbein, L., & Fabiano, G. A. (2009). Confirmatory factor analysis of the Antisocial Process Screening Device with a clinical inpatient population. Assessment, 16, 103–114.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Forth, A. E., Hart, S. D., & Hare, R. D. (1990). Assessment of psychopathy in male young offenders. Psychological Assessment: A Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 2, 342–344.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Forth, A. E., Kosson, D. S., & Hare. (2003). The psychopathy checklist: Youth version. Toronto: Multi-Health Systems.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frick, P. J., & Hare, R. D. (2001). The antisocial process screening device: Technical manual. North Tonawanda: Multi-Health Systems.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frick, P. J., O’Brien, B. S., Wootton, J. M., & McBurnett, K. (1994). Psychopathy and conduct problems in children. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 103, 700–707.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Frick, P. J., Lilienfeld, S. O., Ellis, M., Loney, B., & Silverthorn, P. (1999). The association between anxiety and psychopathy dimensions in children. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 27, 383–392.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Frick, P. J., Bodin, S. D., & Barry, C. T. (2000). Psychopathic traits and conduct problems in community and clinic-referred samples of children: further development of the Psychopathy Screening Device. Psychological Assessment, 12, 382–393.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Frick, P. J., Cornell, A. H., Barry, C. T., Bodin, S. D., & Dane, H. E. (2003). Callous-unemotional traits and conduct problems in the prediction of conduct problem severity, aggression, and self-report of delinquency. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 31, 457–470.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Frick, P. J., Stickle, T. R., Dandreaux, D. M., Farrell, J. M., & Kimonis, E. R. (2005). Callous–unemotional traits in predicting the severity and stability of conduct problems and delinquency. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 33, 471–487.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Frick, P. J., Ray, J. V., Thornton, L. C., & Kahn, R. E. (2013, June 24). Can callous-unemotional traits enhance the understanding, diagnosis and treatment of serious conduct problems in children and adolescents? A comprehensive review. Psychological Bulletin. doi:10.1037/a0033076. Advance online publication.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fritz, M. V., Ruchkin, V., Koposov, R., & af Klintenberg, B. (2008). Antisocial Process Screening Device: validation on a Russian sample of juvenile delinquents with the emphasis on the role of personality and parental rearing. International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 31, 438–446.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goldberg, L. R. (1992). The development of markers for the Big-Five structure. Psychological Assessment, 4, 26–42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grigorenko, E. L., Geiser, C., Slobodskaya, H. R., & Francis, D. J. (2010). Cross-informant symptoms from CBCL, TRF, and YSR: trait and method variance in a normative sample of Russian youths. Psychological Assessment, 22, 893–911.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hare, R. D. (1991). Manual for the Hare psychopathy checklist-revised. Toronto: Multi-Health Systems.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hare, R. D. (2003). The Hare PCL-R (2nd ed.). Toronto: Multi-Health Systems.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harpur, T. J., Hart, S. D., & Hare, R. D. (1994). Personality of the psychopath. In P. T. Costa & T. A. Widiger (Eds.), Personality disorders and the Five-Factor model of personality (pp. 149–174). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Hicks, B. M., & Patrick, C. J. (2006). Psychopathy and negative emotionality: analyses of suppressor effects reveal distinct relations with emotional distress, fearfulness, and anger-hostility. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 115, 276–287.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hillige, S., Das, J., & de Ruiter, D. (2010). The youth psychopathic traits inventory: psychometric properties and its relation to substance use and interpersonal style in a Dutch sample of non-referred adolescents. Journal of Adolescence, 33, 83–91.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kotler, J. S., & McMahon, R. J. (2010). Assessment of child and adolescent psychopathy. In R. T. Salekin & D. R. Lynam (Eds.), Handbook of child & adolescent psychopathy (pp. 79–109). New York London: The Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Loney, B. R., Frick, P. J., Clements, C. B., Ellis, M. L., & Kerlin, K. (2003). Callous-unemotional traits, impulsivity, and emotional processing in adolescents with antisocial behavior problems. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 32, 66–80.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lynam, D. R. (1997). Pursuing the psychopath: capturin the fledging psychopath in a nomological net. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 120, 209–234.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lynam, D. R. (2002). Fledgling psychopathy: a view from personality theory. Law and Human Behavior, 26, 255–259.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lynam, D. R., & Widiger, T. A. (2001). Using the Five-Factor Model to represent the DSM-IV personality disorders: an expert consensus approach. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 110, 401–412.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lynam, D. R., Caspi, A., Moffitt, T. E., Raine, A., Loeber, R., & Stouthamer-Loeber, M. (2005). Adolescent psychopathy and the Big Five: results from two samples. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 33, 431–443.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Marsee, M. A., Silverthorn, P. S., & Frick, P. J. (2005). The association of psychopathic traits with aggression and delinquency in non-referred boys and girls. Behavioral Sciences and the Law, 23, 803–817.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McMahon, R. J., Witkiewitz, K., & Kotler, J. S. (2010). Predictive validity of callous-unemotional traits measured in early adolescence with respect to multiple antisocial outcomes. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 119, 752–763.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Miller, J. D., Lynam, D. R., Widiger, T. A., & Leukefeld, C. (2001). Personality disorders as extreme variants of common personality dimensions: can the Five-Factor Model adequately represent psychopathy? Journal of Personality, 69, 253–276.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Muñoz, L. C., & Frick, P. J. (2007). The reliability, stability, and predictive utility of the self-report version of the Antisocial Process Screening Device. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 48, 299–312.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Murrie, D. C., & Cornell, D. G. (2002). Psychopathy screening of incarcerated juveniles: a comparison of measures. Psychological Assessment, 14, 390–396.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Muthén, B. (2002). Using Mplus Monte Carlo Simulations in Practice: A Note on Assessing Estimation Quality and Power in Latent Variable Models. Mplus Web Notes: No. 1. www.statmodel.com.

  • Muthén, L. K., & Muthén, B. O. (2007). Mplus user’s guide (5th ed.). Los Angeles: Muthén & Muthén.

    Google Scholar 

  • Muthén, B., du Toit, S. H. C., & Spisic, D. (1997). Robust inference using weighted least squares and quadratic estimating equations in latent variable modeling with categorical and continuous outcomes. Conditionally accepted for publication in Psychometrika.

  • Neumann, C. S., Kosson, D. S., Forth, A. E., & Hare, R. D. (2006). Factor structure of the Hare psychopathy checklist: Youth Version (PCL:YV) in incarcerated adolescents. Psychological Assessment, 18, 142–154.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • O’Kearney, R., & Dadds, M. (2010). Developmental and gender differences in the language for emotions across the adolescent years. Cognition and Emotion, 18, 913–938.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pardini, D. A., Lochman, J. E., & Frick, P. J. (2003). Callous/unemotional traits and social-cognitive processes in adjudicated youths. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 42, 364–371.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Petrila, J., & Skeem, J. L. (2003). An introduction to the special issues on juvenile psychopathy and some reflections on the current debate. Behavioral Sciences and the Law, 21, 689–694.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Poythress, N. G., Dembo, R., Wareham, J., & Greenbaum, P. E. (2006). Construct validity of the Youth Psychopathic traits Inventory (YPI) and the Antisocial Process Screening Device (APSD) with justice-involved adolescents. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 33, 26–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roose, A., Bijttebier, P., Claes, L., Lilienfeld, S. O., de Fruyt, F., & Decuypers, M. (2012). Psychopathic traits in adolescence and the Five Factor model of psychopathy. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 34, 84–93.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Salekin, R. T., Neumann, C. S., Leistico, A.-M. R., DiCicco, T. M., & Duros, R. L. (2004). Psychopathy and comorbidity in a young offender sample: taking a closer look at psychopathy’s potential importance over disruptive behaviour disorders. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 113, 416–427.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Salekin, R. T., Leistico, A.-M. R., Trobst, K. K., Schrum, C. L., & Lochman, J. E. (2005). Adolescent psychopathy and personality theory—the interpersonal circumplex: expanding evidence of a nomological net. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 33, 445–460.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Salekin, R. T., Debus, S. A., & Barker. (2010). Adolescent psychopathy and the Five Factor model: domain and facet analysis. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 32, 501–514.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • van Doorn, M. D., Branje, S. J. T., & Meeus, W. H. J. (2011). Developmental changes in conflict resolution styles in parent-adolescent relationships: a four wave longitudinal study. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 40, 97–107.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Vaughn, M. G., & Howard, M. O. (2005). Self-report measures of juvenile psychopathic traits: a comparative review. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 13, 152–162.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vaughn, M. G., Howard, M. O., & DeLisi, M. (2008). Psychopathic personality traits and delinquent careers: an empirical examination. International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 31, 407–416.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Viding, E., Blair, R. J. R., Moffitt, T. E., & Plomin, R. (2005). Evidence for substantial genetic risk for psychopathy in 7-year-olds. The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 46, 592–597.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Minet de Wied.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

de Wied, M., van der Baan, H., Raaijmakers, Q. et al. Factor Structure and Construct Validity of the Dutch Version of the Antisocial Process Screening Device. J Psychopathol Behav Assess 36, 84–92 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10862-013-9371-4

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10862-013-9371-4

Keywords

Navigation