Validation of the Proposed Specifiers for Conduct Disorder (PSCD) Self-Report Version in Iranian School-Attending Adolescents

Utility of Multiple Specifiers for Subtyping Oppositional Defiant Problems: Investigating Multiple Psychopathy Dimensions as Specifiers

Past research has speculated that using grandiose-manipulative (GM) and daring-impulsive (DI) traits, rather than solely callous-unemotional (CU) traits, could better inform subtyping youths with behavioral problems. However, this approach remains largely untested. To further enhance our understanding of this matter, the current study utilized self-report (n = 2,381) and parent-report (n = 1,846) data to examine the utility of three psychopathic dimensions as specifiers for oppositional defiant problems (ODP). Findings showed that ODP was a significant predictor of negative outcomes, while the GM, CU, and DI traits emerged as significant predictors of theoretically and clinically relevant external variables (e.g., conduct problems and proactive aggression), independent of ODP (and age, gender, and socioeconomic status), forming the potential foundation for the development of specifiers for ODP. Furthermore, children presenting ODP alongside heightened levels of the three psychopathic traits demonstrated notably higher scores in important external variables compared to other groups, including but not confined to the subgroup of children with ODP and high CU trait levels. Findings provide preliminary support for employing GM and DI traits as specifiers for ODP. However, more comprehensive evaluations of these specifiers' utility would help inform ongoing discussions before definitively concluding they should be included in diagnostic manuals.

Proposed Specifiers for Conduct Disorder (PSCD) self-report: Factor structure and validation in a community sample of Belgian youth

The current study examined the psychometric properties of the Proposed Specifiers for Conduct Disorder (PSCD) in a sample of school-attending adolescent Belgian youth (N = 599; M age = 16.51 years, SD = 1.27). Given the recent interest in the PSCD-Short Version (PSCD-SV), this study focused on the 13-item variant of the PSCD. Study findings showed that the PSCD-SV had a hierarchical four-factor structure including the components of grandiose-manipulative (GM), callous-unemotional (CU), daring-impulsive (DI), and conduct disorder (CD). These interrelated factors were found to be internally consistent. The study also showed that the PSCD-SV total score was positively and significantly related to an alternate measure of psychopathy. Further, the study revealed the PSCD-SV was meaningfully related to the five-factor personality domains (i.e., extraversion, conscientiousness, agreeableness) as well as peer functioning and prosocial behavior. Bivariate correlations demonstrated that the dimensions differed in their associations with external correlates (e.g., peer functioning). Regression analyses showed that the GM, CU, and CD components of the PSCD-SV were uniquely associated to externalizing difficulties, whereas only the GM and CU components of the PSCD-SV were associated with low prosocial behaviors. These findings shed light on the conceptual and developmental models for the consideration of psychopathy and conduct problems. The use of the broader psychopathy condition as well as its underpinning dimensions may have important implications for assessment, treatment, and diagnostic manuals. The implications of the current study are further discussed.

The Proposed Specifiers for Conduct Disorder (PSCD) in Iranian School-Attending Adolescents: A Multi-Informant Validation Study of the PSCD Parent- and Youth Self-Report Versions

The Proposed Specifier for Conduct Disorder (PSCD) was developed to measure the broad psychopathy construct with grandiose-manipulative, callous-unemotional, daring-impulsive, and conduct disorder subscales. This study tested the psychometric properties of Persian parent-and-child self-report PSCD versions with 974 parents (86% mothers) and children/adolescents (46.5% boys) dyads. Results showed that with some modifications the proposed hierarchical four-factor structure for both PSCDs was confirmed and was found to be invariant across gender. Across versions, all PSCD scores were internally consistent and demonstrated expected correlations with parent-reported externalizing problems, anxiety/depression, and poor school performance, supporting the PSCDs scores' validity. This study also is the first to examine and establish acceptable to excellent parent-child agreement of PSCD scores. Finally, all PSCD child-report scores offered small though significant incremental validity over their corresponding PSCD parent-version scores in predicting parent-reported conduct problems and proactive aggression. Findings indicated that both Persian PSCDs may hold promise for assessing psychopathy components in Iranian school-attending adolescents and generating additional research on this topic.

Evidence-Based Assessment of DSM-5 Disruptive, Impulse Control, and Conduct Disorders

The assessment of oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, antisocial personality disorder, and intermittent explosive disorder-the Disruptive, Impulse Control and Conduct Disorders-can be affected by biases in clinical judgment, including overestimating concerns about distinguishing symptoms from normative behavior and stigma associated with diagnosing antisocial behavior. Recent nosological changes call for special attention during assessment to symptom dimensions of limited prosocial emotions and chronic irritability. The present review summarizes best practices for evidence-based assessment of these disorders and discusses tools to identify their symptoms. Despite the focus on disruptive behavior disorders, their high degree of overlap with disruptive mood dysregulation disorder can complicate assessment. Thus, the latter disorder is also included for discussion here. Good practice in the assessment of disruptive behavior disorders involves using several means of information gathering (e.g., clinical interview, standardized rating scales or checklists), ideally via multiple informants (e.g., parent-, teacher-, and self-report). A commitment to providing a full and accurate diagnostic assessment, with careful and attentive reference to diagnostic guidelines, will mitigate concerns regarding biases.

What is the Best Source of Information for Psychopathic Traits in Youth? A Review and Meta-analysis of Self- and Other-Reported Psychopathic Traits and Their Association with Negative Outcomes

Child psychopathic traits appear to be associated with negative outcomes. Despite the study of youth psychopathy often relying on multiple reporters (e.g., child, caregivers, teachers), there is limited insight into how much information these various sources contribute and moreover, how this information is integrated. The present study sought to address this gap in the literature by examining the magnitude of relationships between self- and other-reported youth psychopathy and negative outcomes (e.g., delinquency, aggression) using a meta-analytic approach. Results revealed a moderate association between psychopathic traits and negative outcomes. Moderator analyses showed a greater relationship for other- than self-reported psychopathy, although not to a substantive extent. Results further indicated the magnitude of the overall psychopathy-negative outcomes association was stronger for externalizing than internalizing outcomes. Study findings can inform improvements in the assessment of youth psychopathy across research and practice, in addition to advancing our understanding of the utility of psychopathic traits in the prediction of clinically relevant outcomes. This review also provides guidance for future multisource raters and source-specific information in the study of psychopathy in youth.

Psychopathic Traits, Externalizing Problems, and Prosocial Behavior: The Role of Social Dominance Orientation

Psychopathic traits in community and referred youths are strongly associated with severe externalizing problems and low prosocial behavior. However, less is known about the mechanisms that may link youth psychopathy and these outcomes. Social dominance orientation (SDO), defined as the general individual orientation toward unequal and dominant/subordinate relationships, might represent a valuable construct to explore to better understand the association between psychopathic traits, externalizing problems, and prosocial behavior. Based on this, the current study aimed to investigate the relationship between psychopathic traits, SDO, externalizing problems, and prosocial behavior in a community sample (N = 92, 45.57% females, mean age = 12.53, and SD = 0.60) and in a clinical (N = 29, 9% female, mean age = 12.57, and SD = 0.57) samples of adolescents with Oppositional Defiant Disorder or Conduct Disorder. Results showed that SDO mediated the relationship between psychopathic traits and externalizing problems and between psychopathic traits and prosocial behavior only in the clinical sample. These findings can provide valuable information on psychopathic trait correlates in youths with aggressive behavior disorders; treatment implications are discussed.

Psychometric properties of the Persian social media intrusion questionnaire

In recent years, social media use has dramatically increased worldwide, which has raised many concerns concerning the excessive use of social media. In this regard, Facebook Intrusion Questionnaire (FIQ) was developed to assess the level of addiction to Facebook. In this study, we first modified the FIQ items to cover all social media besides Facebook and labeled it the measure as Social Media Intrusion Questionnaire (SMIQ). Then, we examined its factor structure, reliability, and validity with 374 participants (M age = 25.91; SD = 5.81; 69.80% females) from the Iranian community sample. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the originally proposed uni-factor model, which was also invariant across gender groups. The SMIQ score demonstrated acceptable internal consistency (α = 0.85) and yielded expected associations with external correlates (e.g., cell-phone based addiction to social media, depression, and low self-esteem), supporting the measure's convergent and divergent validity. Overall, our findings indicated that Persian SMIQ enjoys sound psychometric properties.

Validation of the Personality Inventory for DSM-5–Brief Form (PID-5-BF) with Iranian University Students and Clinical Samples: Factor Structure, Measurement Invariance, and Convergent, Discriminant, and Known-Groups Validity

The Personality Inventory for DSM-5, Brief Form (PID-5-BF) was developed to assess DSM-5's Alternative Trait Model for Diagnosing Personality Disorders (AMPD). This study aimed to examine the factor structure, internal consistency, measurement invariance, and convergent, discriminant, and known-group validity of the Persian PID-5-BF with 941 university students (aged 18-67, M age= 28.36, SD = 9.09, 39.1% males) and 178 male from a clinical (aged 18-60, M age= 33.77, SD = 10.60) sample in Iran. Confirmatory factor analyses supported the five-factor model in both groups, being fully and partially invariant across gender and study groups, respectively. PID-5-BF subscales were internally consistent, yielded expected associations with other personality variables, and differentiated the student sample from the clinical group, supporting the measure's convergent, discriminant, and known-group validity. Our results indicated that the PID-5-BF holds promise as a screening measure of dimensional maladaptive personality traits in Iranian students and clinical samples.

Coping with weight stigma: Validation of the Persian brief coping responses inventory with Iranian adolescents sample

Individuals who are overweight or obese encounter frequent weight-related stigma experiences, which are associated with negative health outcomes. In this regard, the Brief Coping Responses Inventory (BCRI) was developed as a measure of core coping responses to weight stigma, with 10 items loading on two subscales of reappraisal and Disengagement coping. The current study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the Persian BCRI with 253 Iranian school-attending youth (Mage = 15.38, SD ± 0.50; 53% female) who had BMI score over 30. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis supported the originally proposed two-factor model (RMSEA = 0.028; CFI = 0.996; TLI = 0.994), which yielded acceptable internal consistency based on various reliability measures such as Cronbach’s alpha coefficients (0.79 and 0.88 for reappraisal and disengagement factors, respectively) and demonstrated the expected convergent and divergent associations with external correlates of interest (e.g., anxiety, depression, and body dissatisfaction scores). This study was also the first one worldwide to examine and report that the originally proposed two-factor model of the BCRI is invariant across gender groups, which allows for examining mean differences in BCRI scores across gender groups. Overall, our results indicated that the BCRI is a valid and reliable measure with a solid factor structure, which could be used to examine the coping reactions to weigh related stigma experiences among youth samples in Iran. Our results may encourage future studies on the psychometrics of the BCRI with other Iranian samples (e.g., university students, community, and clinical samples).