Boldness explains a key difference between psychopathy and antisocial personality disorder

Abstract

Although antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) has represented the current operationalization of psychopathy since DSM‑III, it has long been recognized as failing to capture the full range of the construct. The current study examined the degree to which Boldness, a trait domain within the triarchic conceptualization of psychopathy that captures fearlessness, dominance and low stress reactivity, represents a distinct difference between psychopathy and ASPD. Utilizing a sample of 152 male prison inmates, the current study examined the extent to which Boldness, relative to Meanness and Disinhibition (indexed by the Triarchic Psychopathy Measure [TriPM]), accounted for incremental variance beyond ASPD symptom counts (indexed by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM‑IV Axis II Disorders ASPD module) in predicting psychopathy (as indexed by Psychopathy Checklist-Revised [PCL‑R] total, factor and facets scores). TriPM Boldness added to the incremental prediction of PCL‑R Factor 1 (Interpersonal/Affective) and Facet 1 (Interpersonal) scores above and beyond ASPD scores.