Guillaume Durand

Incremental Validity of the Durand Adaptive Psychopathic Traits Questionnaire Above Self-Report Psychopathy Measures in Community Samples

ABSTRACT Although highly debated, the notion of the existence of an adaptive side to psychopathy is supported by some researchers. Currently, 2 instruments assessing psychopathic traits include an adaptive component, which might not cover the full spectrum of adaptive psychopathic traits. The Durand Adaptive Psychopathic Traits Questionnaire (DAPTQ; Durand, 2017) is a 41-item self-reported instrument assessing adaptive traits known to correlate with the psychopathic personality. In this study, I investigated in 2 samples (N = 263 and N = 262) the incremental validity of the DAPTQ over the Psychopathic Personality Inventory–Short Form (PPI–SF) and the Triarchic Psychopathy Measure (TriPM) using multiple criterion measures. Results showed that the DAPTQ significantly increased the predictive validity over the PPI–SF on 5 factors of the HEXACO. Additionally, the DAPTQ provided incremental validity over both the PPI–SF and the TriPM on measures of communication adaptability, perceived stress, and trait anxiety. Overall, these results support the validity of the DAPTQ in community samples. Directions for future studies to further validate the DAPTQ are discussed.

The Durand Adaptive Psychopathic Traits Questionnaire: development and validation

ABSTRACT Although the term psychopathy is embedded with negativity, evidence points to the existence of another form of psychopathy, which involves adaptive traits such as stress and anxiety immunity, remarkable social skills, noteworthy leadership ability, and an absence of fear. The newly developed Durand Adaptive Psychopathic Traits Questionnaire (DAPTQ) aims to assess adaptive traits known to correlate with the psychopathic personality. Validation of the questionnaire among 765 individuals from the community gave support to a 9-factor solution: Leadership, Logical Thinking, Composure, Creativity, Fearlessness, Money Smart, Focus, Extroversion, and Management. The DAPTQ and its 9 subscales demonstrated good internal consistency reliability in a community sample (.68–.88). Convergent validity and divergent validity were supported by administering the DAPTQ alongside established measures of the psychopathic personality. Overall, these findings support the potential of the DAPTQ as an instrument for measuring psychopathy-associated adaptive traits. Limitations of this study and potential directions for future research are also discussed. Further studies are needed to validate the DAPTQ and its subscales against a wider range of personality traits and behaviors.

Influence of allelic variations in relation to norepinephrine and mineralocorticoid receptors on psychopathic traits: a pilot study

Background Past findings support a relationship between abnormalities in the amygdala and the presence of psychopathic traits. Among other genes and biomarkers relevant to the amygdala, norepinephrine and mineralocorticoid receptors might both play a role in psychopathy due to their association with traits peripheral to psychopathy. The purpose is to examine if allelic variations in single nucleotide polymorphisms related to norepinephrine and mineralocorticoid receptors play a role in the display of psychopathic traits and executive functions. Methods Fifty-seven healthy participants from the community provided a saliva sample for SNP sampling of rs5522 and rs5569. Participants then completed the Psychopathic Personality Inventory–Short Form (PPI-SF) and the Tower of Hanoi. Results Allelic variations of both rs5522 and rs5569 were significant when compared to PPI-SF total score and the fearless dominance component of the PPI-SF. A significant result was also obtained between rs5522 and the number of moves needed to complete the 5-disk Tower of Hanoi. Conclusion This pilot study offers preliminary results regarding the effect of allelic variations in SNPs related to norepinephrine and mineralocorticoid receptors on the presence of psychopathic traits. Suggestions are provided to enhance the reliability and validity of a larger-scale study.

A French Translation and Validation of the Durand Adaptive Psychopathic Traits Questionnaire: An Investigation with Community Samples from France and Canada

This study presents a French translation and validation of the Durand Adaptive Psychopathic Traits Questionnaire (DAPTQ; Durand, 2017), an instrument for assessing adaptive traits known to correlate with the psychopathic personality. The first sample, which included individuals from France and Canada (N = 135, 52% in France, Mage = 26.98, SD = 9.24), completed the DAPTQ in French, alongside measures of empathy, positive and negative affects, satisfaction with life, and self-esteem. The second sample included bilingual (French and English) individuals from France and Canada (N = 141, 52% in France, Mage = 29.73, SD = 9.09) who completed both versions of the DAPTQ (French and English), alongside measurements of perceived stress, trait anxiety, and creativity. The results support the DAPTQ–French version good internal consistency (α = .89/.87), convergent validity, and concurrent validity. Correlation between the DAPTQ total and subscales across versions (French-English) showed strong associations (r = .84 to .96). These findings support the cross-cultural equivalence of the DAPTQ and its effectiveness as a valid assessment method of adaptive traits in the field of psychopathy.

The interplay of gender, parental behaviors, and child maltreatment in relation to psychopathic traits

Many studies have reported an effect of childhood maltreatment and parenting behavior with the future development of psychopathic traits. However, there is a limited amount of research on parenting behavior and adult psychopathic traits as possible identifiers of childhood maltreatment. The aim of this study is three-fold (1) identify specific parenting behaviors and adult psychopathic traits that predict forms of childhood maltreatment, (2) explore gender differences, and (3) expand on other studies on psychopathy by focusing on a representative sample of the community. There are significant associations between recalled childhood maltreatment and parenting behavior, and psychopathic traits. Parental rejection was the most recurrent predictor of childhood maltreatment with a significant positive relation to almost all its forms. Paternal overprotection was positively associated with sexual abuse, while the opposite was true for maternal overprotection. Psychopathic traits displayed in adulthood were also strong indicators of childhood maltreatment; females with high levels of boldness were more likely to have experienced sexual abuse in childhood, and those high in disinhibition were more likely to have experienced physical neglect and sexual abuse. While males were generally higher in terms of psychopathic traits, females reported more childhood abuse and negative parental behaviors. These findings provide support for using parenting behavior and psychopathic traits as markers of childhood maltreatment.