Network analysis of psychopathic traits among Chinese male offenders based on three self-report psychopathy measures

The current study aimed to investigate whether each of the personality disorder traits should be considered central and/or peripheral in non-Western populations, and the comorbidity between psychopathy and anxiety and depression. A network analysis approach was operationalized by three self-report psychopathy measures as well as anxiety and depression within 492 Chinese male offenders (M=36.12, SD = 10.17). The networks emphasized the importance of dominance, egocentricity, and interpersonal facets - which reflect interpersonal manipulation - in the item-level psychopathy network. Conversely, items regarding deficient affects were placed more peripherally in the network. Similar findings were also obtained in the factor-level psychopathy network. Unexpectedly, however, the antisocial factor had relatively high centrality indices. Moreover, anxiety and depression were both positioned on the periphery of the networks but showed relatively strong relationships with related traits in the affective, behavioral, and antisocial aspects of psychopathy. The current findings provide novel evidence for the core features of psychopathy and help us better understand the relevant constructs such as antisocial and criminal behaviors, and psychopathology comorbidity with psychopathy.