Network Analysis of Triarchic Psychopathy Measure (TriPM) and Other Self Report Measures of Psychopathy

Network analysis is a statistical tool for understanding interrelations between symptoms and the relative importance of symptoms in a disorder. This is especially appealing to psychopathy researchers, as network analysis may provide some insights that bring the field closer to resolving debates about psychopathy-relevant features.

In the present study (N = 612), we first conducted network analysis on the Triarchic Psychopathy Measure (TriPM) and subsequently conducted a scale-level analysis of psychopathic traits from seven psychopathy inventories.

In the TriPM network, we found that items from Meanness and Disinhibition were among the most central. Meanness items assessing deficits in empathy were highly influential nodes in the network, but also demonstrated significant topological overlap. Boldness items were less central but still important to the TriPM network. Scales indexing impulse control problems, affective deficits, and interpersonal dominance were among the most influential in the domain-level network. This included measures of callousness, impulsiveness, and need for stimulation, and grandiosity and manipulativeness.

Despite concerns about the application of network analysis to cross-sectional data, our results support the relevance of boldness, meanness, and disinhibition to the conceptualization and measurement of psychopathy.