Theses and Dissertations

Advisor

McKinney, Cliff

Committee Member

Winer, E.

Committee Member

DeShong, Hilary

Committee Member

Armstrong, Kevin

Date of Degree

8-7-2025

Original embargo terms

Immediate Worldwide Access

Document Type

Dissertation - Open Access

Major

Psychology

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Department

College of Arts and Sciences

Abstract

Psychopathy research stems from the work of Dr. Hervey Cleckley, whose research aided in providing the foundation for psychopathy assessments currently utilized in the field. Several researchers used Cleckley’s framework to further home in on characteristics that are central to psychopathy. Among the primary researchers who adapted the characteristics into their own measures are Robert Hare, Paul Frick, and Scott Lilienfeld; the work of these researchers is what helped lead to the creation of the Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised: Short Form (PPI-R: SF). The current study aimed to confirm the two-, three-, and eight-factor models from previous versions of the measure that led to the PPI-R: SF and contribute to the normative data for this measure. Results demonstrated that acceptable fit was unable to be obtained for all three models using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). An exploratory factor analysis revealed a 7-factor structure, excluding Coldheartedness. The final model retained 48 items across 7 factors, which was further evaluated using a CFA. Acceptable fit was achieved after modification, and metric invariance across women and men was confirmed. Continuing to research the factor structure of the PPI-R: SF in larger, more diverse samples of emerging adults could be beneficial, as it may aid in contributing more meaningful data for clinical and research purposes.

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