Psychopathic Traits and Psychological Violence in Intimate Partner Relationships: A Systematic Review of...

Background/Objectives: Subclinical psychopathy is a relevant construct for the study of dysfunctional interpersonal dynamics and has been associated with different forms of violence in intimate relationships. The aim of this systematic review was to synthesise the available observational evidence on the association between psychopathic traits and psychological violence in intimate relationships, considering different psychopathy dimensions, manifestations of psychological violence, sources of information, and methodological characteristics of the studies. Methods: A literature search was conducted for studies published in English between January 2015 and March 2026 in Web of Science, Scopus, PsycINFO, and ScienceDirect, in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Results: Eight publications reporting nine independent studies, comprising a total of 2890 participants, were included. This aggregate figure represents the sum of the reported sample sizes and does not constitute a common analytical sample across studies. Data extraction covered sample characteristics, assessment instruments, psychopathy dimensions, manifestations of psychological violence, and main findings; methodological quality and risk of bias were assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale adapted for analytical cross-sectional studies (NOS-xs). Given the heterogeneity of measures, samples, and operationalisations, the findings were synthesised narratively. The reviewed studies showed variable associations between psychopathic traits and different manifestations of psychological violence, with differences according to the dimension assessed, sample type, source of information, and instrument used. In studies specifically examining Factor 1, affective-interpersonal traits were associated with some forms of psychological violence involving control, manipulation, and intimidation; other studies using global measures of psychopathy also identified associations with emotional-verbal abuse and dominance-isolation. Findings regarding Factor 2 were more heterogeneous across studies. Furthermore, some studies identified associations between psychopathy and psychological violence based on perpetrator self-reports, whereas others incorporated reports from victims or partners. Conclusions: Overall, the findings suggest an association between psychopathic traits and psychological violence in intimate relationships. However, the heterogeneity of the included studies and their exclusively cross-sectional design preclude causal inferences and warrant cautious interpretation of the observed associations. These findings may help inform hypotheses for future longitudinal and intervention research.