Date of Award
Fall 2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department/Program
Forensic Psychology
Language
English
First Advisor or Mentor
Jill Grose-Fifer
Second Reader
Philip Yanos
Third Advisor
Kendra Doychak
Abstract
Psychopathy has traditionally been studied using Hare's Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) but self-report measures like the Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised (PPI-R) have gained popularity due to comparative ease, speed of administration, and its broader applicability to the general population. However, the validity of the PPI-R across cultures has produced mixed results, particularly in non-Western and non-English speaking participants. This study examined racial/ethnic and gender differences in the PPI-R in a diverse sample of 536 college students. The internal and external validity of the PPI-R was good. The PPI-R correlated with the Triarchic Psychopathy Measure (TriPM), as well as trait anxiety, and empathy measures. However, consistent with other studies, the traditional three-factor model of the PPI-R, consisting of Fearless Dominance (FD); Self-Centered Impulsivity; and Coldheartedness, failed to converge for the overall sample. Nor did any model fit adequately when exploratory factor analysis was performed for males and females separately. As hypothesized, males scored significantly higher than females on PPI-R Total and FD scores. Also, Asian Americans scored lower than Black participants on both Rebellious Nonconformity and Social Influence PPI-R subscales. These data show that there are pros and cons to using the PPI-R with diverse participants. However, further research is needed to investigate the underlying causes for lack of fit for the factor models.
Recommended Citation
Liang, Cassidy, "Cross-Cultural Validity of the PPI-R in U.S. College Students" (2025). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/jj_etds/373
