| Popis: |
Research suggests that the roots of psychopathy are evident in youth. Studies have consistently shown psychopathy to be associated with a myriad of adverse outcomes including violence and antisocial behaviour. Thus, the early identification of psychopathic traits may facilitate early intervention and risk management strategies. A diagnosis of psychopathy has important clinical and legal implications. Thus, it is crucial that measures used to assess psychopathy are valid and reliable. This study investigated the inter-rater reliability (IRR) of the Psychopathy Checklist Youth Version (PCL: YV). Several studies have highlighted sources of rater bias with adult measures of psychopathy, amongst other measures. Therefore, this study also addressed whether IRR was associated with the rater’s professional characteristics or the severity of cases presented. Six case vignettes were developed (two with low, two with moderate and two with high levels of psychopathic traits). These were rated by experts in the field. Nineteen multidisciplinary health professionals recruited from relevant services participated in this study. All participants attended training on the PCL: YV and then rated the case vignettes using the PCL: YV and completed a Staff Information Questionnaire. This study found high IRR overall for the PCL: YV. However, lower IRR was obtained for particular items (“Impulsivity”, “Poor anger control”, “Early behaviour problems”) and the moderate cases. The rater’s professional characteristics were not found to influence IRR. Potential explanations for these findings are discussed followed by recommendations for future research. |
