Callous and emotional: Exploring the variants of psychopathic personality in community adolescents

This study examined variants of psychopathic personality in adolescents based on the combination of callousness (CU) and negative affect (NA). A total of 902 school-attending adolescents participated (52.2% girls; age range: 12–19 years, M = 14.89, SD = 1.67), assessed at two time points with a one-year interval using a longitudinal design. Profiles were identified through Latent Profile Analysis based on the callousness subscale of the Inventory of Callous–Unemotional Traits (ICU) and the negative affect subscale of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). Additional variables were assessed through self-reports measuring personality traits, attachment styles, behavioral maladjustment, socioemotional well-being, and risk behaviors. The analysis identified five distinct profiles, including one with high CU and low NA (primary variant) and two emotionally dysregulated profiles (secondary variants): one predominantly high in CU, the other in NA. Profiles showed differences across multiple constructs at baseline and one year later, with secondary variants exhibiting greater emotional, social, and behavioral maladjustment. The findings provide empirical support for the distinction between primary and secondary variants of youth psychopathy and contribute to understanding its heterogeneity.