The Dark Triad and Sexual Assertiveness Predict Sexual Coercion Differently in Men and Women

Sexual coercion is a global problem that has been studied widely with regard to various characteristics of the perpetrators. The Dark Triad of personality (i.e., narcissism, Machiavellianism, and primary and secondary psychopathy) has been indicated as an important predictor of coercive cognitions and behaviors. In this study, we report findings of an online study ( N = 208), exploring the relationship between sexual coercion, the Dark Triad, and sexual assertiveness (i.e., strategies for achieving sexual autonomy). We found that the Dark Triad was a stronger predictor of sexual coercion in men than in women. In men, all the Dark Triad components were significantly, positively correlated with sexual coercion, and narcissism and Machiavellianism had significant, negative correlations with sexual assertiveness. In women, only narcissism had a significant, positive correlation with sexual coercion, and the Dark Triad traits were not correlated with sexual assertiveness. In regression analyses, controlling for shared variance between the predictor variables, high secondary psychopathy, and low sexual assertiveness emerged as significant predictors of coercion in men. Only narcissism was a significant positive predictor in women. We discuss the results with a reference to evolutionary Life History theory.

The Predictive Value of Early-Life Trauma, Psychopathy, and the Testosterone–Cortisol Ratio for Impulsive Aggression Problems in Veterans

Background In this study, we examined whether early-life trauma, psychopathy, and the testosterone/cortisol ratio predicted impulsive aggression problems in veterans. Method A sample of 49 male veterans with impulsive aggression problems and 51 nonaggressive veterans were included in the study. Logistic regression analysis was performed with early-life trauma, primary and secondary psychopathy, and testosterone/cortisol ratio as continuous predictor variables; impulsive aggression status was entered as a binary outcome measure. Correlation analyses were conducted to examine pairwise relations among the predictors. Results Results indicated that early-life trauma and secondary psychopathy, but not the testosterone/cortisol ratio or primary psychopathy, were significant predictors of impulsive aggression status. Conclusions The current results indicate that early-life trauma and secondary psychopathy are risk factors for impulsive aggression problems among veterans. Future studies are needed to determine the exact causal relations among the variables examined here.

The Comorbidity of Psychopathy and Depression: Across Different Ethnic and Sex Groups

The aim of this research was to examine if comorbid relationships exist between psychopathy and depression in a community sample of different ethnic and sex groups. Based on some previous research, it was hypothesized that psychopathy and depression would be correlated and that secondary psychopathy would be the strongest predictor of depression regardless of different ethnic and sex belongings. The survey was carried out on the adult population in the region of Croatia populated by citizens of Croatian and Serbian minority ethnicity. The equalized convenience sample of 1100 participants, half of which were Croats and half of males. Pearson-product moment correlation coefficients were calculated as a measure of the strength and direction of linear relationships among primary and secondary and depression. In order to determine how well scores on depression could be predicted by primary and secondary psychopathy across different demographic groups, multiple regression analysis were used. It was found that both primary and secondary psychopathy were significantly correlated in a positive direction with depression in different ethnic and sex groups. However, secondary psychopathy was more correlated with depression across different ethnic and sex subsamples. The results of regression analysis revealed that secondary psychopathy was the strongest predictor of depression in all demographic subsamples. After age and school attainment were introduced into regression models, it was shown that a very small percentage of the variance is explained by the sociodemographic variables. The research suggested a significant role of secondary psychopathy in relation to a higher level of psychopathology.

Psychopathy in a Multiethnic World: Investigating Multiple Measures of Psychopathy in Hispanic, African American, and Caucasian Offenders

Despite the forensic relevance of psychopathy and the overrepresentation of Hispanics in the United States’ criminal justice system, these two issues remain underexplored, particularly with self-report measures of psychopathy. We investigated the criterion validity of three psychopathy measures among African Americans, Caucasians, and Hispanics in a sample of 1,742 offenders. More similarity than dissimilarity emerged across groups. The factor structures of psychopathy measures among Hispanic offenders were consistent with previous findings. Few significant differences emerged between Hispanic and Caucasian offenders, with most differences emerging between African Americans and the other ethnic groups. In such instances, the correlates of psychopathy were typically weaker for African Americans. The Psychopathy Checklist–Revised yielded fewer psychopathy × ethnicity interactions than the Psychopathic Personality Inventory and Levenson Primary and Secondary Psychopathy Scales. Overall, these psychopathy measures showed reasonable validity across these cultural groups.