Investigating Investigating psychopathic personality psychopathic personality disorder in womendisorder in women

Mette Kreis, M.Sc.Postgraduate Research Student Glasgow Caledonian University

Scottish Personality Disorder NetworkWorkshop, Aberdeen, 29 May 2008

Workshop outlineWorkshop outline

1. Psychopathy and gender2. Introduction to the CAPP3. Interactive CAPP activity4. Presentation of research findings5. Questions and discussion

Psychopathy and genderPsychopathy and gender

Background for PhD research

PsychopathyPsychopathy

Measuring psychopathyMeasuring psychopathy

Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R; Hare,1991, 2003)

2 Factor model 3 Factor model (Cooke & Michie) 4 Factor model(s)

Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version (PCL:SV; Hart et al., 1995)

Psychopathy in menPsychopathy in men

Psychopathy in womenPsychopathy in women

Problems with PCL-R…Problems with PCL-R…

Mainly validated with male offenders

Not content validated on women

Different factor structure across gender

Differential expression of some items

PCL-R reliable with women?

PCL-R valid with women?

No conceptual framework for women

No measurement framework

BACK TO BASICS!

Forouzan & Cooke (2005)Forouzan & Cooke (2005)

Introduction to the CAPPIntroduction to the CAPP

The Comprehensive Assessment of Psychopathic Personality (CAPP; Cooke, Hart, Logan, & Michie)

Interactive CAPP activityInteractive CAPP activity

1.Match symptoms with domains

2.Which symptoms do you feel are most relevant to psychopathy?

3.Which (if any) do you feel are most relevant to psychopathy in men and in women?

Presentation of research Presentation of research findingsfindings

Prototypical analysis of psychopathy across gender

Study aimsStudy aims

Map domain of symptoms ofpsychopathy in women

Content validate the CAPP across gender

BIRD

FliesWings Feathers

?

ParticipantsParticipants

MeasureMeasure

6) LACKS EMOTIONAL DEPTH

How prototypical is this symptom of psychopathy? Low prototypicality High prototypicality1 2 3 4 5 6

7

Is this symptom more prototypical of psychopathy…IN MEN Equally prototypical IN

WOMEN1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Prototypical Psychopathy Unempathic

Self-centred

Uncaring

Deceitful

Manipulative

Unreliable

Self-aggrandizing

Insincere

Lacks remorse

Sense of entitlement

Self-justifying

Lacks emotional depth

Results: General ratingsResults: General ratings

Self-aggrandizing (1.02)

Sense of invulnerability (.99)

Domineering (.77)

Reckless (.73)

Aggressive (.71)

Lacks emotional stability (.66)

Unstable self-concept (.60)

Manipulative (.23)

Results: Gender differencesResults: Gender differences

Self-centred

Deceitful

Uncaring

ManipulativeUnreliableInsincere

Lacks remorse

Sense of entitlement

Self-justifying

Lacks emotional depth

Unempathic

More manipulative?

More emotionally unstable?

More unstable self-concept?

Prototypical psychopathic woman?

What do the results mean?What do the results mean?

More men are psychopathic?Or are we just less able to recognise the disorderin women?

Assessor gender bias?Men are aggressive, women are emotionallyunstable

Real gender differences in psychopathy?

ConclusionsConclusions

CAPP promising tool for assessingpsychopathy across gender

More marked gender differences inmanifestation of symptoms?

Gender awareness in assessment ofpsychopathy is essential!

Practical implications for Practical implications for assessing psychopathy in womenassessing psychopathy in women

Do not expect to see the same presentationof psychopathy in women as in men

Be aware of your own potential male“psychopathy prototype” bias

For now, use assessment tools to aidformulation not diagnose!

Questions and discussionQuestions and discussion

QuestionsQuestions

1. What mechanisms might operate to create gender differences in psychopathy? (or in PD generally)

2. Why would psychopathy be different from other PDs in terms of gender differences? (Hare says it is!)

Mette Kreis Glasgow Caledonian UniversityPsychology DepartmentCowcaddens RoadGlasgow, G4 0BATel: 0141 331 8853Fax: 0141 331 3636mette.felbertkreis@gcal.ac.uk