NCJ Number
181975
Journal
Criminal Justice and Behavior Volume: 27 Issue: 2 Dated: April 2000 Pages: 216-233
Date Published
2000
Length
18 pages
Annotation
Building on earlier prototypical research, this study examined antisocial personality disorder (APD) prototype with 448 inmates from three correctional institutions.
Abstract
The illusion of a unitary APD diagnosis is shattered by integral shifts in the diagnostic criteria and the innumerable possibilities under the succession of polythetic models. One potentially effective method for distilling the core elements of APD is the use of analysis of prototypes. The basis for most clinical interventions is a shared understanding of diagnostic problems. If antisocial inmates perceive APD as prototypically different from the views held by mental health professionals, then these differences are likely to impede treatment. The current study used the identical items from Rogers and colleagues (1994) for the prototypical analysis, because a major focus of the study was systematic comparisons between experts and inmates. All participants were provided with a simple rating form that included the criteria with a 7-point Likert-type scale. Inmates differed from forensic experts on prototypical ratings in their emphasis on behavioral manifestations, especially aggressive and antisocial behavior. On a principal-components analysis with a varimax rotation, three dimensions were observed: impaired/dishonest relationships and impulsivity, aggressive behavior, and nonviolent delinquency. A comparison of factor scores based on earlier research revealed that the salience of "manipulation and lack of guilt" for forensic experts was not shared by inmates. The implications of prototypical analysis for the conceptualization of APD are discussed. 1 figure, 5 tables, and 32 references