Cognitive-behavioral profiles of college risk-takers with Type II and psychopathic personality traits

Prevention efforts would be enhanced by identification of factors that increase the greater relative risk of some college students for dangerous activities such as heavy drinking, illicit drug use, and unsafe sex. Students with Cloninger's [Science 236 (1987) 410.] "Type II" personality characteristics or with psychopathic traits were compared on indices of drinking and risk-taking, and potential mechanisms of unique behavioral patterns were explored. Freshmen (N=331, 50% male) completed self-report measures from which students with Type II and psychopathic traits were identified and compared with the remaining sample. Students with Type II traits reported heavy drinking and frequent intoxicated risk-taking, whereas students with psychopathic traits reported frequent sober risk-taking. Both groups held strong positive outcome expectancies, yet only those with Type II traits reported weak negative outcome expectancies. Moreover, negative outcome expectancies mediated the relation between Type II traits and intoxicated risk-taking. The collective findings suggest that Type II and psychopathic traits underlie differing behavioral profiles, and that students with Type II traits may take risks when intoxicated due to limited recognition of potential negative behavioral consequences.