The relationship between psychopathic traits and executive functioning among incarcerated men
Individuals with high levels of psychopathic traits are often characterized by behaviors suggesting attenuated executive functioning (EF); however, the literature examining these two constructs have provided varied results. The current study sought to clarify the relationship between EF and psychopa...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1524033/full |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1841525885071523840 |
|---|---|
| author | Aleija L. Rodriguez Corey H. Allen J. Michael Maurer Bethany G. Edwards Nathaniel E. Anderson Carla L. Harenski Michael R. Koenigs Kent A. Kiehl Kent A. Kiehl |
| author_facet | Aleija L. Rodriguez Corey H. Allen J. Michael Maurer Bethany G. Edwards Nathaniel E. Anderson Carla L. Harenski Michael R. Koenigs Kent A. Kiehl Kent A. Kiehl |
| author_sort | Aleija L. Rodriguez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Individuals with high levels of psychopathic traits are often characterized by behaviors suggesting attenuated executive functioning (EF); however, the literature examining these two constructs have provided varied results. The current study sought to clarify the relationship between EF and psychopathic traits in a large sample of incarcerated men (n = 811). We utilized the Hare Psychopathy Checklist - Revised (PCL-R) and the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS) to measure psychopathic traits and EFs, respectively. D-KEFS subtests included Verbal Letter Fluency, Tower Test, Color-Word Interference Test (CWIT), and Proverbs. Regression results showed that PCL-R Factor 1 scores (measuring interpersonal and affective traits) were positively associated with verbal fluency, verbal abstraction, and verbal inhibition ability. In addition, PCL-R Facet 4 scores (measuring antisocial traits) were negatively associated with performance on inhibitory EF tasks. Our findings help further clarify the relationships between specific psychopathic traits and forms of EF, and provide potential avenues for specialized treatment or intervention approaches targeting specific psychopathic traits. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d703828cb7214d62acf59ce68304c90a |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1664-0640 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj-art-d703828cb7214d62acf59ce68304c90a2025-01-17T06:51:01ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychiatry1664-06402025-01-011510.3389/fpsyt.2024.15240331524033The relationship between psychopathic traits and executive functioning among incarcerated menAleija L. Rodriguez0Corey H. Allen1J. Michael Maurer2Bethany G. Edwards3Nathaniel E. Anderson4Carla L. Harenski5Michael R. Koenigs6Kent A. Kiehl7Kent A. Kiehl8The Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM, United StatesThe Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM, United StatesThe Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM, United StatesThe Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM, United StatesThe Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM, United StatesThe Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM, United StatesDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United StatesThe Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM, United StatesDepartment of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United StatesIndividuals with high levels of psychopathic traits are often characterized by behaviors suggesting attenuated executive functioning (EF); however, the literature examining these two constructs have provided varied results. The current study sought to clarify the relationship between EF and psychopathic traits in a large sample of incarcerated men (n = 811). We utilized the Hare Psychopathy Checklist - Revised (PCL-R) and the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS) to measure psychopathic traits and EFs, respectively. D-KEFS subtests included Verbal Letter Fluency, Tower Test, Color-Word Interference Test (CWIT), and Proverbs. Regression results showed that PCL-R Factor 1 scores (measuring interpersonal and affective traits) were positively associated with verbal fluency, verbal abstraction, and verbal inhibition ability. In addition, PCL-R Facet 4 scores (measuring antisocial traits) were negatively associated with performance on inhibitory EF tasks. Our findings help further clarify the relationships between specific psychopathic traits and forms of EF, and provide potential avenues for specialized treatment or intervention approaches targeting specific psychopathic traits.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1524033/fullpsychopathyexecutive functionaffective deficitsinhibition deficitsantisocial traitsincarcerated sample |
| spellingShingle | Aleija L. Rodriguez Corey H. Allen J. Michael Maurer Bethany G. Edwards Nathaniel E. Anderson Carla L. Harenski Michael R. Koenigs Kent A. Kiehl Kent A. Kiehl The relationship between psychopathic traits and executive functioning among incarcerated men Frontiers in Psychiatry psychopathy executive function affective deficits inhibition deficits antisocial traits incarcerated sample |
| title | The relationship between psychopathic traits and executive functioning among incarcerated men |
| title_full | The relationship between psychopathic traits and executive functioning among incarcerated men |
| title_fullStr | The relationship between psychopathic traits and executive functioning among incarcerated men |
| title_full_unstemmed | The relationship between psychopathic traits and executive functioning among incarcerated men |
| title_short | The relationship between psychopathic traits and executive functioning among incarcerated men |
| title_sort | relationship between psychopathic traits and executive functioning among incarcerated men |
| topic | psychopathy executive function affective deficits inhibition deficits antisocial traits incarcerated sample |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1524033/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT aleijalrodriguez therelationshipbetweenpsychopathictraitsandexecutivefunctioningamongincarceratedmen AT coreyhallen therelationshipbetweenpsychopathictraitsandexecutivefunctioningamongincarceratedmen AT jmichaelmaurer therelationshipbetweenpsychopathictraitsandexecutivefunctioningamongincarceratedmen AT bethanygedwards therelationshipbetweenpsychopathictraitsandexecutivefunctioningamongincarceratedmen AT nathanieleanderson therelationshipbetweenpsychopathictraitsandexecutivefunctioningamongincarceratedmen AT carlalharenski therelationshipbetweenpsychopathictraitsandexecutivefunctioningamongincarceratedmen AT michaelrkoenigs therelationshipbetweenpsychopathictraitsandexecutivefunctioningamongincarceratedmen AT kentakiehl therelationshipbetweenpsychopathictraitsandexecutivefunctioningamongincarceratedmen AT kentakiehl therelationshipbetweenpsychopathictraitsandexecutivefunctioningamongincarceratedmen AT aleijalrodriguez relationshipbetweenpsychopathictraitsandexecutivefunctioningamongincarceratedmen AT coreyhallen relationshipbetweenpsychopathictraitsandexecutivefunctioningamongincarceratedmen AT jmichaelmaurer relationshipbetweenpsychopathictraitsandexecutivefunctioningamongincarceratedmen AT bethanygedwards relationshipbetweenpsychopathictraitsandexecutivefunctioningamongincarceratedmen AT nathanieleanderson relationshipbetweenpsychopathictraitsandexecutivefunctioningamongincarceratedmen AT carlalharenski relationshipbetweenpsychopathictraitsandexecutivefunctioningamongincarceratedmen AT michaelrkoenigs relationshipbetweenpsychopathictraitsandexecutivefunctioningamongincarceratedmen AT kentakiehl relationshipbetweenpsychopathictraitsandexecutivefunctioningamongincarceratedmen AT kentakiehl relationshipbetweenpsychopathictraitsandexecutivefunctioningamongincarceratedmen |