Psychopathic Traits and Impulsivity Subtypes: An Examination of Two Complex, Multifaceted Constructs by Ashley M Hosker-Field A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy Department of Psychology BROCK UNIVERSITY St. Catharines, Ontario December 2017 © Ashley M Hosker-Field, 2017 Dedication To my children Hudson and Callie: Because of you, I know what’s truly important in life. I will love you forever and always ii Abstract Research has demonstrated inconsistent results regarding the relationship between impulsivity and the interpersonal and affective facets of psychopathy. Therefore, the purpose of this work was to clarify and reconcile the variable empirical findings. Generally speaking, the relationship between psychopathic traits and impulsivity was expected to differ based on the psychopathy factor and type of impulsivity under investigation. Studies 1 and 2 examined psychopathy and impulsivity in on-line and student samples, utilizing the Self-Report Psychopathy Scale and several self-report measures of impulsivity. Study 2 included laboratory-assessed behavioural impulsivity measures. Results indicated that across studies erratic lifestyle was uniquely, positively associated with all self-reported impulsivity measures, but surprisingly unrelated to laboratory- assessed behavioural impulsivity. Interpersonal manipulation was uniquely, negatively associated with lack of premeditation and non-planning, and callous affect was uniquely, negatively associated with urgency across studies. Studies 3 and 4 examined the psychopathy-impulsivity relationship in youth and on-line samples. Psychopathy was examined using the Antisocial Process Screening Device (youth) and the Self-Report Psychopathy Scale (adults). Impulsivity was approximated via preselected facets of the HEXACO-PI-R and the UPPS Impulsive behavior scale (Study 4 only). Results indicated that the impulsivity (youth) and erratic lifestyle (adults) subscales were uniquely associated with heightened impulsivity. Callous-unemotional traits in youth were also associated with higher levels of impulsivity. In adults, interpersonal manipulation and callous affect were largely iii unrelated to impulsivity at the multivariate level (with few exceptions). Findings demonstrated that the behavioural characteristics of psychopathy contributed to a pervasive tendency towards a variety of impulsive behaviours. This relationship was consistent across the youth, adult, on-line, and student samples. Among adults, the emotional and interpersonal psychopathy traits may be unrelated to impulsivity. Interpersonal manipulation traits may result in a slightly greater tendency to demonstrate premeditated, planned behaviour, whereas callous affect may reflect slightly lower urgency. However, callous-unemotional traits in youth do appear to be related to heightened impulsivity. Findings provide a better understanding of the psychopathy- impulsivity relationship. This is the first set of studies to utilize the HEXACO model to approximate pre-established impulsivity domains. Findings also address the issue of suppression when examining multifaceted constructs, particularly psychopathic traits. iv Acknowledgements To my advisor, Dr. Angela Book: Thank you for your continued support, guidance, and encouragement throughout my academic career. You have been an inspiration since my undergraduate years, and you are a large part of the reason I chose to complete my PhD. I am truly grateful to have you as a mentor and a friend. To my committee members, Dr. Michael Ashton and Dr. Nancy DeCourville: Thank you for your advice and feedback throughout the course of my degree. Your input and suggestions were instrumental in the successful completion of my thesis work. To my lab family, Tabitha Jones and Nathalie Gauthier: Thank you for being there for me every step of the way, building me up, and talking me down, and for keeping me from giving up. I am certain I wouldn’t have made it through this without you. To my family: Mom, there are no words to adequately express the love and gratitude I have for you. Thank you for teaching me from the time I was young that I could be and do anything I wanted, for believing in me, supporting me, and encouraging me to persevere. So much of who I am today is because of you. Thank you to my sister for listening to me vent, and helping to ease my fears and anxieties, about school, and life in general. You’re my person. Thank you to my brother, for always cheering me on and making me laugh. Dad, I know you’re watching over me. I love and miss you. Finally, thank you to my husband for your unwavering love and support. You helped make it possible for me to follow my dreams and I am so lucky to have you in my corner. They say it takes a village, and in my case, it really did. Thank you so much to my mom, mom-in-law, and sister for helping to care for my babies while I worked my way through my degree. I am so blessed to have so many amazing people in my life. v Table of Contents General Introduction: Psychopathy and Impulsivity 1 Psychopathy 1 Impulsivity 77 Psychopathy and Impulsivity: Empirical Findings 11 General purpose and goals of dissertation 13 References 16 Studies 1 and 2: A Multi-Sample Examination of Psychopathic Traits and 21 Impulsivity Study 1 31 Method 31 Participants 31 Procedure 31 Measures 31 Data Analysis 33 Results 33 Correlations Among all Model Variables 33 Relationships of Psychopathy Facets with Impulsivity Domains 33 Psychopathy and UPPS 33 Psychopathy and BIS 11 37 Summary 37 Study 2 39 Method 39 vi Participant 39 Procedure 39 Self-Report Measures 40 Laboratory-Assessed Behavioural Measures of Impulsivity 40 Data Analysis 43 Results 43 Correlations Among all Model Variables 43 Relationships of Psychopathy Facets with Impulsivity Domains 45 Psychopathy and UPPS 45 Psychopathy and BIS 11 47 Psychopathy and Laboratory-Assessed Behavioural Measures 47 of Impulsivity Summary 47 Discussion 51 References 61 Studies 3 and 4: Examining the Association between Psychopathic Traits 67 and Impulsivity Relevant HEXACO-PI-R Facets in Youth and On-line Samples Study 3 79 Method 79 Participants 79 Procedure 79 Measures 80 Data Analysis 82 vii Results 83 Impulsivity Relevant HEXACO-PI-R Facets and External Correlates 83 Relationships of Psychopathy Factors with Impulsivity Relevant 83 HEXACO-PI-R Facets Summary 88 Study 4 89 Method 89 Participants 89 Procedure 90 Measures 90 Data Analysis 91 Results 92 Correlations Among all Model Variables 92 Relationships of Psychopathy Facets with UPPS Impulsivity Domains 94 Relationships of Psychopathy Facets with Impulsivity Relevant 96 HEXACO-PI-R Facets Summary 98 Discussion 100 References 112 General Discussion 118 References 128 viii List of Tables Table 1.1 Study 1 Descriptive Statistics and Correlations among the 35 Subscales of the SRP-4, UPPS Impulsive Behavior Scale, and the BIS 11 Table 1.2 Study 1 Path Model Results: Relationships of Psychopathy 36 Facets with UPPS Impulsivity Domains Table 1.3 Study 1 Path Model Results: Relationships of Psychopathy 38 Facets with BIS 11 Impulsivity Domains Table 1.4 Study 2 Descriptive Statistics and Correlations 44 Table 1.5 Study 2 Path Model Results: Relationships of Psychopathy 46 Facets with UPPS Impulsivity Domains Table 1.6 Study 2 Path Model Results: Relationships of Psychopathy 48 Facets on BIS 11 Impulsivity Domains Table 1.7 Study 2 Path Model Results: Relationships of Psychopathy 49 Facets with Laboratory-Assessed Behavioural Impulsivity Measures Table 2.1 Study 3 Descriptive Statistics and Correlations among 84 Impulsivity Relevant HEXACO-PI-R facets and External Correlates Table 2.2 Study 3 Descriptive Statistics and Bivariate Correlations 85 between APSD Factors and Relevant HEXACO-PI-R Facets Table 2.3 Study 3 Path Model Results: Relationships of APSD 87 Psychopathy Factors with Relevant HEXACO-PI-R Facets Table 2.4 Study 4 Descriptive Statistics and Correlations 93 Table 2.5 Study 4 Path Model Results: Relationships of Psychopathy 95 Facets with UPPS Impulsivity Domains Table 2.6 Study 4 Path Model Results: Relationships of Psychopathy 97 Facets with Relevant HEXACO-PI-R Facets ix List of Figures Figure 1.1 Study 1 and 2 hypothesized relationships of the psychopathy 29 facets with the impulsivity subscales of the UPPS Figure 1.2 Study 1 and 2 hypothesized relationships of the psychopathy 29 facets with the BIS 11 impulsivity subscales Figure 1.3 Study 2 hypothesized relationships of the psychopathy facets 30 with the laboratory-assessed behavioural measures of impulsivity Figure 2.1 Study 3 Hypothesized relationships of the APSD psychopathy 77 factors with the impulsivity relevant HEXACO-PI-R facets Figure 2.2 Study 4 Hypothesized relationships of the SRP-4 psychopathy 78 facets with the impulsivity subscales of the UPPS Figure 2.3 Study 4 Hypothesized relationships of the SRP-4 psychopathy 79 facets with the impulsivity relevant HEXACO-PI-R facets x List of Abbreviations APSD Antisocial Process Screening Device BAS Behavioural activation system BIS Behavioural inhibition system BIS 11 The Barratt Impulsiveness Scale: Version 11 EATQ-R sf The Early Adolescent Temperament Questionnaire - Revised Short Form FFM Five Factor Model HEXACO-PI-R HEXACO Personality Inventory – Revised HEXACO-PI-R-60 HEXACO Personality Inventory – Revised 60 Items PCL-R Psychopathy Checklist - Revised SDQ The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire SKIP Single Key Impulsivity Paradigm SRP-4 Self-Report Psychopathy Scale – Version 4 TCIP