attachment to caregivers and psychopathic characteristics among adolescents at risk for aggression

145 Pages·2008·5.78 MB·English

ATTACHMENT TO CAREGIVERS AND PSYCHOPATHIC
CHARACTERISTICS AMONG ADOLESCENTS AT RISK
FOR AGGRESSION
by
Rosalind E.H. Catchpole
M.A., Simon Fraser University, 2004
B.A., Simon Fraser University, 2000
THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF
THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
In the
Department
of
Psychology
© Rosalind Catchpole 2008
SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
Spring 2008
All rights reserved.
This work may not be reproduced inwhole or in part,
by photocopy orothermeans, without permission ofthe author.
PSYCHOPATHYANDATTACHMENT ii
APPROVAL
Name: RosalindE.H. Catchpole
Degree: DoctorofPhilosophy
Title ofDissertation: Attachmentto caregivers andpsychopathic characteristics
amongadolescents atrisk for aggression
ExaminingCommittee:
Chair: Dr. Ronald Roesch
Professor, DepartmentofPsychology
Dr. MarleneM. Moretti
SeniorSupervisor Professor, DepartmentofPsychology
Dr. Arlene Young
Supervisor AssociateProfessor, DepartmentofPsychology
Dr. Kevin Douglas
Supervisor AssistantProfessor, DepartmentofPsychology
Dr. MargaretJackson
InternallExternal Examiner Professor, DepartmentofCriminology
ExternalExaminer Dr. AdelleForth
Professor, DepartmentofPsychology, CarletonUniversity
DateDefended: April 11,2008
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PSYCHOPATHYAND ATTACHMENT iii
ABSTRACT
There has been a longstanding interest in adult psychopathy, both inresearch studies and
clinicalwritings. However, onlyrecently has the study ofyouth psychopathy garnered
attention. Researchers are particularly interested inbasic questions about the early course
ofpsychopathy, however little work has investigatedthe role that attachment plays in this
disorder. This dissertation investigatedthe relationships between adolescent-caregiver
attachment patterns andpsychopathic traits. Specifically, itwas hypothesizedthat
adolescents exhibiting the interpersonal and affective disturbances ofpsychopathywould
demonstrate insecure attachmentpatterns characterizedby a deactivationofthe
attachment system and marked by low anxiety and high avoidance (dismissing
attachment). Participants were 109 adolescentboys and girls from two locations in
British Columbia: a mental health assessment centre and two youth custody centres.
Results indicatedthat the affective factor ofpsychopathywas associatedwith insecure
attachment for both genders. Differential relationships emerged for boys and girls. For
boys, higher PCL:YVtotal and Factor4 scores were associated with dismissing
attachment and lower attachment anxiety. Forgirls, however, the relationship was
reversed. Girls with higher PCL:YV total and Factor4 scores had higherattachment
anxiety and less attachment dismissiveness. Implications for the construct ofpsychopathy
are discussed.
Keywords: psychopathy; adolescence; attachment; forensic; clinical; developmental;
aggreSSIOn
PSYCHOPATHYANDATTACHMENT IV
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Funding for this study was provided the Canadian Institutes ofHealth Research
(CIHR) New Emerging Team Grant awarded to Dr. Marlene M. Moretti (Grant#54020),
and a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Canada Graduate
Scholarship Doctoral Scholarship, a Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research
(MSFHR) SeniorGraduate Traineeship, a Canadian Institute ofHealth Research (CIHR)
Professional StudentResearch Award, a Simon FraserUniversity Graduate Fellowship
and a Simon FraserUniversity President's Research Stipend awarded to Rosalind E.H.
Catchpole.
Iwould like to thank my supervisor, Dr. Marlene Moretti, for herguidance and
mentorship throughout the Ph.D program. Iwould also like to thank Drs. Arlene Young,
Kevin Douglas, and Ray Koopman for theirassistance regarding this dissertation. Thank
you to all the graduate and undergraduate students involved in data collection for this
project. Finally, thankyou to my husband, Rod Stirling, and my family foryour love and
support.
PSYCHOPATHYANDATTACHMENT v
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Approval ii
Abstract iii
Acknowledgements iv
Table ofContents v
List ofFigures vii
List ofTables viii
List ofAbbreviations xi
Introduction 1
Psychopathy 3
FactorStructure ofthe Psychopathy Checklists 5
Select Research onAdult Psychopathy and Emotional Processing 8
Psychopathy among Young People 9
ExtantResearch onthe Development ofPsychopathy 12
Why study the relationship betweenattachment andpsychopathy? 17
The Present Study 23
Hypotheses 23
Methods 26
Participants and Procedure 26
Sample Descriptives 28
Measures 30
Psychopathy 30
Attachment 32
DataAnalytic Approach 34
Results 36
Psychopathy and Attachment Security 36
Psychopathy and AttachmentAvoidance 37
Psychopathy and AttachmentAnxiety .39
Psychopathy and Specific Forms ofAttachment Insecurity .40
Summary ofResults 45
PSYCHOPATHYAND ATTACHMENT vi
Discussion 46
Attachment 46
Psychopathic Characteristics 48
Attachment Insecurity and Psychopathy .49
GenderDifferences in Psychopathy and Attachment 53
Implications for Intervention 59
Limitations and Future Directions 60
References 66
Appendices 75
Appendix A: Tables 75
Appendix B: Figures 116
Appendix C: ConsentForms 127
Appendix D: Family Attachment Group Prototypes 131
PSYCHOPATHYANDATTACHMENT VB
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Four-category model ofattachment. 116
Figure 2: Distribution ofPCL:YV Total Scores 117
Figure 3: Distribution ofPreoccupied Attachment Scores 118
Figure 4: DistributionofFearful Attachment Scores 119
Figure 5: Distribution ofDismissing Attachment Scores 120
Figure 6: Distribution ofSecure Attachment Scores 121
Figure 7: Genderby Attachment Anxiety Interaction for PCL:YV Total Scores 122
Figure 8: Genderby Attachment Anxiety Interaction for PCL:YV Factor4
Scores 123
Figure 9: Genderby Dismissing Interaction for PCL:YV Total Scores 124
Figure 10: Genderby Dismissing Interaction for PCL:YV Factor4 Scores 125
Figure 11: Genderby Fearful Interaction for PCL:YV Factor4 Scores 126
PSYCHOPATHYANDATTACHMENT viii
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Key Characteristics ofPCL Factors 75
Table 2: Full Sample (N = 179) versus Sample with Complete Data (n= 109)
and Demographic/Clinical Variables 76
Table 3: Full Sample versus Sample with Complete Data and Key Study
Variables 77
Table 4: Gender and Demographic/Clinical Variables 78
Table 5: Location (Mental Healthvs. Forensic) and Demographic Variables 79
Table 6: PCL:YV Scores by Gender.. 80
Table 7: Attachment Scores by Location (N =109) 81
Table 8: Attachment Scoresby Gender 82
Table 9: Intercorrelations betweenAttachment Styles 83
Table 10: Regression Examining the Relationship betweenAttachment Security,
Gender, and Location inPredicting PCL:YV Total Scores 84
Table 11: Regression Examining the Relationship betweenAttachment Security,
Gender, and Location in Predicting PCL:YV Factor 1Scores 85
Table 12: Regression Examiningthe Relationship betweenAttachment Security,
Genderand Locationin Predicting PCL:YV Factor2 Scores 86
Table 13: Regression Examining the Relationship betweenAttachment Security,
Genderand Location in Predicting PCL:YV Factor 3 Scores 87
Table 14: Regression Examining the Relationship betweenAttachment Security,
Gender and LocationinPredicting PCLYV Factor4 Scores 88
Table 15: Regression Examining the Relationship betweenAttachment
Avoidance, Gender, and Location in Predicting PCL:YV Total Scores ........89
Table 16: Regression Examining the Relationship betweenAttachment
Avoidance, Gender, and Location in Predicting PCL:YV Factor 1
Scores 90
Table 17: Regression Examining the Relationship betweenAttachment
Avoidance, Genderand Locationin Predicting PCL:YV Factor2
Scores 91
Table 18: Regression Examining the Relationship between Attachment
Avoidance, Gender and Location in Predicting PCLYV Factor3
Scores 92