engleski

Can psychopathic traits be adaptive? Gender differences in relations to emotional distress

Psychopathy is a multidimensional construct, characterized by manipulativeness, affective callousness, and unstable and antisocial lifestyle. While some of these features are maladaptive (i.e. antisocial lifestyle), others might be adaptive, at least in some contexts (i.e. low anxiety and stress immunity). Moreover, previous research demonstrated the importance of distinguishing between different types of psychopathy: primary (more related to lack of affect and interpersonal manipulation) and secondary (more related to unstable and antisocial lifestyle). Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the relations between psychopathic traits and indicators of emotional distress (depression, anxiety and stress), and whether these relations differ between men and women. Data was collected on 650 students (388 female and 260 male) from various faculties of the University of Zagreb, Croatia (Mage= 21.73 years ; SD = 1.94 years), using the Self-Report Psychopathy Scale (SRP-III – R13 ; Paulhus, Neuman, & Hare, in press) and The Depression Anxiety Stress Scales – 21 (DASS-21 ; Lovibond & Lovibond 1995). The results of Canonical Correlation Analysis with psychopathy traits in the first set of canonical variables (predictors) and DASS scales in the second set (criterions) revealed three pairs of canonical variables: the first (Rc=.19 ; λ=.93 ; χ²=48.36, df=12 ; p<.01) highlights the positive relation between Antisocial tendencies and anxiety, the second (Rc=.17 ; λ=.96 ; χ²=25.53, df=6 ; p<.01) emphasizes the negative relation between Affective psychopathic traits from the first set, with stress and anxiety from the second set of the variables, and the third pair (Rc=.11 ; λ=.99 ; χ²=7.18, df=2 ; p<.05) underlies the positive relation between psychopathic Lifestyle and depression, while Antisocial behavior is negatively related to depressive experiences. Moreover, moderation analyses indicated that relations between psychopathy and emotional distress differ in males and females ; the more pronounced affective and interpersonal traits are associated with low emotional distress in males, while the opposite stands for females. Taken together, results of this study indicate that affective psychopathic traits have adaptive potential and represent a protective factor for experiencing emotional distress, while Lifestyle and Antisocial behavior represent risk factors for emotional distress. Finally, psychopathic traits seem to be adaptive in males, but maladaptive in females.

psychopathic traits ; emotional distress ; gender differences

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