PSYCHOLOGY MASTER'S THESIS ABSTRACT

Amanda Jeffrey

MA-Research
May 2003

Personality Functioning Among Adolescent Populations

    Previous literature suggests that the diagnosis of psychopathy involves low scores on measures of the affectional system and high scores on measures of reward orientation (Lynam, 1997).  The purpose of the present research was to investigate the interactive role of the affectional system, reward orientation, and neuropsychological processes in the manifestation of antisocial traits among high school and undergraduate students (n = 140).  Participants were tested on the STROOP Neuropsychological Inventory to measure frontal lobe deficits linked with psychopathy in previous research.  In addition, participants completed four self report inventories: the Interpersonal Adjective Scale (IASR-B5) (a five-factor model of personality instrument), Child Psychopathy Scale (CPS) (an instrument for diagnosing psychopathy), Experiences in Close Relationships Inventory (ECR) (an instrument assessing proneness to close relationships) and a test of Reward Orientation using a modified version of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Task (WCST).  Although no significant group differences were found for the STROOP or Reward Orientation tasks, results showed that individuals scoring higher on the CPS displayed significantly higher scores on the Anxiety and Avoidance Scales of the ECR.  Support was also found for the hypothesis that the high psychopathy group would score lower on personality dimensions of the Love/Nurturance and Conscientiousness scales and higher on the Emotionality scales of the IASR-B5.  In addition, follow up analyses of the CPS subscales revealed significant differences between high and low psychopathy groups on measures of social dominance, conscientiousness, anxiety and avoidance.  The present research provided support for the argument that the presence of psychopathy traits is significantly associated with low affectional systems and unique five factor profiles.  These findings highlight the need for future research to examine cortical functioning, attachment, reward orientation and Five-Factor correlates among at-risk juvenile populations.

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