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Internal consistency reliability of the self-report antisocial process screening device.
Norman G Poythress1, Kevin S Douglas, Diana Falkenbach
1Department of Mental Health Law & Policy, University of South Florida, FMHI-USF,Tampa, FL 33612-3807, USA.
Assessment
|January 31, 2006
Summary
The Antisocial Process Screening Device (APSD) shows good reliability for Narcissism and Impulsivity scales in adolescents. However, the Callous-Unemotional scale consistently demonstrates poor internal consistency, suggesting needed revisions for accurate psychopathic trait assessment.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Forensic Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- The self-report Antisocial Process Screening Device (APSD) is widely used for assessing psychopathic traits in justice-involved youth.
- Concerns exist regarding the internal consistency reliability of the APSD's subscales: Narcissism, Callous-Unemotional, and Impulsivity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the internal consistency reliability of the self-report APSD across multiple studies.
- To identify specific subscales within the APSD that may require revision.
Main Methods:
- A meta-analysis of internal consistency reliability indices (e.g., Cronbach's alpha, mean interitem correlation) was conducted.
- Data from 11 independent studies utilizing the self-report APSD were analyzed.
Main Results:
- The Narcissism and Impulsivity scales of the APSD demonstrated moderate to good internal consistency reliability.
- The Callous-Unemotional scale consistently yielded poor internal consistency reliability across the examined studies.
Conclusions:
- While the Narcissism and Impulsivity scales are reliable, the Callous-Unemotional scale's poor reliability hinders accurate assessment of psychopathic features.
- Revisions to the Callous-Unemotional scale are recommended to enhance its internal consistency and clinical utility in justice-involved adolescents.