Citation

Fite PJ, Greening L, Stoppelbein L, Fabiano GA. Assessment 2009; 16(1): 103-114.

Affiliation

University of Mississippi Medical Center, MS 39216, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1073191108319893

PMID

18577599

Abstract

Research linking psychopathic tendencies to childhood behavior problems is predicated on the assumption that the findings are based on using psychometrically sound measures of psychopathic tendencies. Although evaluated with community samples, the psychometric properties of such measures have not been evaluated with inpatient clinical populations thereby limiting conclusions. Hence, the goal of the present study was to evaluate the factor structure of a widely used measure-the Antisocial Process Screening Device (APSD)-with an inpatient population. Parents of 328 children (M age = 8.90 years) completed the APSD at the time of their child's admission for treatment. Although confirmatory factor analyses supported the three- and two-factor solutions proposed by the authors of the measure, the two-factor structure was more parsimonious. Factors of the two-factor model were also related to symptoms of childhood behavior disorders. The findings extend current research on the APSD's factor structure to an inpatient population.

Language: en