Differential relationships between the dimensions of psychopathy and intelligence: Replication with adult jail inmates

Previous research with adult mental health and adolescent forensic samples has found that intelligence is differentially related to the four dimensions of psychopathy. The current study evaluated the relations between the Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version (PCL:SV) factors and full-scale intelligence (FIQ) in 100 males detained in a county jail. Structural equation modeling results revealed that the PCL:SV interpersonal factor had a strong positive relationship to the FIQ latent variable, whereas the antisocial factor was moderately positively associated with FIQ. In contrast, FIQ was negatively related to both the affective and lifestyle PCL:SV factors. Overall, the psychopathy factors accounted for 25% of the variance of FIQ. The current study adds to a growing literature suggesting that features of psychopathy are differentially related to intellectual functioning.