Psychopathic Disorder Subtypes Based on Temperament and Character Differences.

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Psychology
• Personality Science

Background:

• The concept of psychopathy has evolved from criminal behavior to a personality construct.
• Antisocial and narcissistic personality disorders share associations with psychopathy.
• Psychopathy may represent persistent personality patterns, informable by psychobiological models.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare temperament and character dimensions in psychopathy with comorbid antisocial or narcissistic traits against controls.
• To identify specific personality dimensions that differentiate these psychopathic subgroups.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) and Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis II disorders.
• Assessed temperament and character using the Temperament and Character Inventory-Revised (TCI-R).
• Compared 80 psychopathic individuals (with antisocial or narcissistic traits) against 80 control subjects.

Main Results:

• Reward dependence and Self-Directedness differentiated psychopathy with narcissistic traits.
• Novelty Seeking and Self-Transcendence characterized psychopathy with antisocial traits.
• Temperament and character traits effectively identified individuals with antisocial or narcissistic psychopathy.

Conclusions:

• The expression of psychopathy varies based on underlying personality dimensions.
• Biologically based and environmentally shaped personality traits influence psychopathic expression.
• Distinct temperament and character profiles can identify subtypes of psychopathy.