2006/02/01 by John F. Edens, David K. Marcus, Scott O. Lilienfeld +1 · 604 citations
Psychology · Social Sciences · #Antisocial personality disorder #Clinical psychology #Construct (python library) #Crime Patterns and Interventions #Criminology #Developmental psychology #Injury prevention #Personality #Personality Disorders and Psychopathology #Poison control #Prison #Psychoanalysis #Psychology #Psychopathology #Psychopathy #Psychopathy Checklist #Psychopathy, Forensic Psychiatry, Sexual Offending
paper · doi:10.1037/0021-843x.115.1.131
published in Journal of Abnormal Psychology 115(1), 131-144 (American Psychological Association)
openalex publication_date 2006/02/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/25
Although psychopathy is frequently regarded as qualitatively distinct from other conditions, relatively little research has examined whether psychopaths represent a distinct class of individuals. Using a sample of 876 prison inmates and court-ordered substance abuse patients who were administered the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (R. D. Hare, 2003), the authors examined the latent structure of psychopathy using several taxometric procedures developed by Meehl and colleagues (P. E. Meehl & L. J. Yonce, 1994; N. G. Waller & P. E. Meehl, 1998). The results across these procedures offer no compelling support for the contention that psychopathy is a taxonic construct and contradict previous reports that psychopathy is underpinned by a latent taxon. The authors discuss the theoretical, public policy, and practice-level implications of these findings.