Author ORCID Identifier
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
5-29-2008
Publication Title
International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology
Volume
53
Issue
4
First Page
464
Last Page
481
Abstract
This article extends the debate over personality disorders as dimensional or taxonic phenomena to the study of psychopathy and relates this issue to questions surrounding whether behaviors or personality traits best represent psychopathy. Proponents of dimensional measurements of psychopathy consider personality traits to be important constructs of psychopathy, whereas proponents of taxometric measurements consider behaviors to be important characteristics of psychopathy. After a brief introduction to the measurement of psychopathy, taxometric and dimensional measurement techniques are explained, their assumptions addressed, and their strengths and weaknesses discussed. Empirical evidence for each technique is then critiqued, and methodological problems are described. It is argued that methodological problems of existing studies largely preclude conclusions regarding whether psychopathy is dimensional or taxonic. Suggestions for future research are provided to address some of these methodological limitations. This review informs readers about each measurement approach and identifies problems regarding the dimensional or taxonic measurement of psychopathy.
Recommended Citation
Wright, E.M. (2008, May 29). The measurement of psychopathy: Dimensional and categorical approaches. The International Journal of Offender Therapy an d Contemporary Criminology, 53(4), 464-481. https://doi.org/10.1177/0306624X08319416
Comments
This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Sage in [International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology] on [May 29, 2008], available online: https://doi.org/10.1177/0306624X08319416
Reuse restricted to noncommercial and no derivative uses.