Assessment of Psychopathy in Incarcerated Females

Psychopaths constitute only an estimated 1% of the population, yet they are responsible for a disproportionately large number of violent and nonviolent crimes. The literature addressing this syndrome among male offenders is quite extensive. In contrast, psychopathy and its underlying factor structure remains understudied among female offenders. Research has suggested marked gender differences in the prevalence, clinical characteristics, and underlying dimensions of psychopathy. This study examined the dimensions of psychopathy in a female offender sample. The Psychopathy Checklist-Revised and the Self Report Psychopathy-II (SRP-II) were administered to 119 female inmates at Tarrant County Jail in Fort Worth, TX. Confirmatory factor analyses of the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) did not support the use of the traditional two factor male model or a recently proposed two- factor female model. This thesis also addressed females' self-appraisal of PCL-R Factor 1 characteristics as well as the usefulness of the self-administered Self-Report Psychopathy-II as a screen for psychopathy.

Grantor dc:publisher

University of North Texas

Year dc:date

2001

Author dc:creator

• Jackson, Rebecca L.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Rogers, Richard, 1950-
• Sewell, Kenneth W.
• Lambert, Paul

• Women prisoners -- Psychology.
• Psychology, Pathological.
• psychopathy
• incarcerated females
• PCL-R
• SRP-II
• factor analysis

Statement dc:rights

• Public
• Copyright
• Jackson, Rebecca L.
• Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved.

Language dc:language

English

Identifier

oclc: 51309627
https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc2890/
ark: ark:/67531/metadc2890

OAI identifier oai:identifier

info:ark/67531/metadc2890