Research Center in Psychology

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Dark triad personalities, self-control, and antisocial/criminal outcomes in Youth

Publication . Pechorro, Pedro; DeLisi, Matt; Gonçalves, Rui Abrunhosa; Braga, Teresa; Marôco, J. P.

The Dark Triad composed of psychopathy, Machiavellianism, and narcissism, and also self-control are consistently related to antisocial and criminal externalizing outcomes. In the present study, we examined whether self-control mediates the relationships between the Dark Triad and delinquency, conduct disorder, and crime seriousness outcomes. The sample consisted of 567 adolescents (M = 15.91 years, SD = 0.99 years, range = 14– 18 years) from Portugal. Self-control mediated the association between psychopathy and Machiavellianism (but not narcissism) and self-reported juvenile delinquency, conduct disorder symptoms, and crime seriousness. One reason antisocial/criminal behaviors are common in those characterized by psychopathy and Machiavellianism relates to their deficits in selfcontrol as suggested by general theories. Within the nomological network of dark traits, narcissism appears to have enduring and unmediated associations with externalizing features and conduct problems. Our findings add to the literature modeling the Dark Triad along with self-control to elucidate its contributions to antisocial/criminal outcomes in youth.

2022Journal article

Open access

Overlapping measures or constructs? An empirical study of the overlap between self-control, psychopathy, Machiavellianism and narcissism

Publication . DeLisi, Matt; Pechorro, Pedro; Maroco, João; Simões, Mário

Overlap between self-control and dark triad traits (i.e., psychopathy, Machiavellianism, and narcissism) is potentially problematic for efforts to distinguish dimensions associated with elevated risk for antisociality and crime. The aim of the present study is to examine the potential overlap between self-control and psychopathy, Machiavellianism, and narcissism, with a focus on the Brief Self-Control Scale (BSCS) and the Dirty Dozen Dark Triad scale (DD). The sample consisted of 567 youth (M = 15.91 years, SD = 0.99 years, age range = 14-18 years) from Portugal. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis results from the pooled set of items of the BSCS and the DD measures revealed that both are valid and reliable measures of their respective constructs. However, consistent with previous research, the narcissism facet of the DD emerged as an independent factor. Our findings suggest that if such an eventual overlap is detected, it would be a question of problematic measures, not constructs.

2021Journal article

Open access

Bold, mean and disinhibited: getting specific about the mediating role of self-control and antisocial outcomes in youth

Publication . Pechorro, Pedro; DeLisi, Matt; Gonçalves, Rui Abrunhosa; Marôco, J. P.

Self-control and psychopathy are correlated with antisocial behaviors among diverse samples, and a spate of recent studies examined their direct associations with criminal outcomes. However, research has largely overlooked mediation effects between psychopathy, self-control and deviant outcomes. The current study examined self-control mediation effects related to the triarchic psychopathy construct and juvenile delinquency, crime seriousness, conduct disorder (CD), and aggression outcomes. The sample consisted of N ¼ 567 (M ¼ 15.91 years, SD ¼ 0.99, range ¼ 14–18 years) southern-European youth from Portugal. Study design was cross-sectional, quantitative and non-experimental. Mediation analysis using path analysis procedures indicated that low self-control mediates the relation between the Boldness, Disinhibition and Meanness factors of the triarchic psychopathy construct and the delinquency, crime seriousness, CD and aggression outcomes. Findings suggest that self-control is a mediator of triarchic psychopathic features and diverse externalizing behavior outcomes, which adds specificity to their interrelationship as general predictors of antisocial behavior.

2021Journal article

Restricted access

Examination of Grasmick et al.’slow Self-control Scale and of a Short Version With Cross-Gender Measurement Invariance

Publication . Pechorro, Pedro; DeLisi, Matt; Pacheco, Catarina; Gonçalves, Rui Abrunhosa; Marôco, J. P.; Quintas, Jorge

Grasmick et al.’s Low Self-Control Scale (LSCS) is considered the gold-standard of self-control measures due to the frequency of its use in criminology. The aim of the present study is to examine the psychometric properties of the LSCS from a more modern psychometric perspective and develop a shorter version. Our sample consisted of young adults (N=610, M=21.33years, SD=3.09) from Portugal. The six-factor intercorrelated model of the LSCS showed an adequate fit, but models that would legitimate using a total score could not be confirmed. The subscales’ intercorrelations revealed some low non-significant correlations. The six subscales showed distinctive correlates with other measures, with three subscales presenting some problematic correlations. Confirmatory factor analysis was subsequently used to develop a three-factor shorter version with strong cross-gender measurement invariance and good reliability. Findings have implications for the validity of the general theory of crime specifically which components of self-control have the greatest empirical linkages to conduct problems and related deviance.

2022Journal article

Open access