Citation

Walsh Z. Law Hum. Behav. 2013; 37(5): 303-311.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, American Psychological Association)

DOI

10.1037/lhb0000017

PMID

23181487

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the cross-ethnic stability of the predictive relationship of psychopathy for violence. Participants were 424 adult male jail inmates. Psychopathy was assessed using the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised and criminal violence was assessed using a comprehensive database of arrests for violent crimes. Ethnic categories included the groups that make up the vast majority of U.S. inmates: European American (EA, n = 166), African American (AA, n = 174), and Latino American (LA, n = 84). Ethnically aggregated Cox regression survival analyses identified predictive effects for psychopathy. Disaggregated analyses identified ethnic differences: Psychopathy was more strongly predictive of violence among EA (R2 = .13, 95% CI [.04, .22], p < .01) relative to AA inmates (R2 = .05, 95% CI [.00, .11], p < .01) and was not related to violence among LA participants (R2 = .02, 95% CI [.00, .08], p = .22). Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses yielded an equivalent pattern of results. These findings add to a growing literature suggesting cross-ethnic variability in the predictive power of psychopathy for violence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved).

Language: en