Citation

Marcus DK, Robinson SL, Eichenbaum AE. J. Personal. Disord. 2019; 33(3): 310-325.

Affiliation

Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Guilford Publications)

DOI

10.1521/pedi_2018_32_343

PMID

29505388

Abstract

Most conceptualizations of psychopathy emphasize its interpersonal consequences, yet most research on psychopathy has been conducted at the individual level. In small groups, well-acquainted members of sororities and fraternities (N = 111) rated one another and themselves on a variety of externalizing behaviors (e.g., cheating, risky sex), and completed a self-report measure of psychopathy. There was consensus about the extent to which members of the groups engaged in these behaviors. The associations between these target effects and respondents' self-reports suggest that these consensual judgments were reasonably accurate. Individuals who reported higher levels of psychopathic personality traits were seen as more likely to engage in externalizing behaviors, with self-centered impulsivity most strongly associated with these behaviors. Although fearless dominance was unrelated to self-reported externalizing behaviors, it was related to peers' ratings of marijuana use, academic dishonesty, and future legal troubles, suggesting that individuals high in fearless dominance may underreport their problem behaviors.

Language: en