Psychopathy and Protective Behavioral Strategies: PBS Mediates the Relationships between Primary and Secondary Psychopathy and Alcohol Consumption and Problems

Abstract

Objective: The most common conceptualization of psychopathy is a two-factor model of primary psychopathy and secondary psychopathy. Primary psychopathy consists of interpersonally abusive behavior, and callousness. Secondary psychopathy includes impulsive and risky decision making. Past research has found that psychopathy is related to negative outcomes, including increased alcohol consumption and problems, and is inversely related to harm reduction behaviors. Protective behavioral strategies (PBS), behaviors designed to reduce alcohol consumption and associated problems, may mediate the relationship between psychopathy and alcohol pathology. The current study examined the relationship between psychopathy, each subtype of PBS use (serious harm reduction (SHR), manner of drinking (MD) and stopping/limiting drinking (SLD)), alcohol consumption, and alcohol problems.

Method: Participants were n = 967 (61.22% female) college students. Participants completed measures assessing psychopathy, PBS use, alcohol consumption, and alcohol problems. A path analysis was conducted to examine the relationships between psychopathy, subtypes of PBS, and alcohol consumption and problems.

Results: Results indicated an inverse relationship between primary psychopathy and both SHR PBS and MD PBS, while secondary psychopathy was inversely associated with all three PBS subtypes. SHR PBS was inversely associated with alcohol problems while MD PBS was inversely associated with alcohol consumption.

Conclusion: These findings suggest specific PBS subtypes mediate the relationship between primary and secondary psychopathy and alcohol consumption and problems. It may be clinically pertinent to consider targeting PBS use, such as with motivational interviewing, when working with patients exhibiting psychopathy traits. Future research should consider these findings when examining alcohol use.

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Matthew P. Kramer

Matthew P. Kramer is a clinical psychology Ph.D. student in the REALE-TIME Lab at the University of Central Florida, where he is supervised by Dr. Robert Dvorak. Broadly, his research interests focus on psychopathy, narcissism, and how these traits relate to adverse health outcomes and protective strategies.

Roselyn Peterson

Roselyn Peterson is a clinical psychology Ph.D. student in the REALE-TIME Lab at the University of Central Florida, where she is supervised by Dr. Robert Dvorak. Her research interests focus on the relationship between protective behavioral strategies and adverse sexual outcomes within the context of substance use.

Emy A. Willis

Emy A. Willis is a clinical psychology Ph.D. student in the HEAL Lab at the University of Central Florida, where she is supervised by Dr. Michael Dunn. Her current research focuses on understanding and expanding the knowledgebase on co-occurring substance use and trauma-related interventions.

Angelina V. Leary

Angelina V. Leary is a clinical psychology Ph.D. student in the REALE-TIME Lab at the University of Central Florida, where she is supervised by Dr. Robert Dvorak. Her research primarily focuses on examining college student alcohol use and interventions that aim to reduce alcohol-related consequences.

Tatiana Magri

Tatiana Magri is a clinical psychology Ph.D. student in the DREAM Lab at the University of Central Florida, where she is supervised by Dr. Lidia Meshesha. Her research interests focus on intervention and prevention of alcohol related consequences and problems, particularly within college students, minority populations, and underserved communities.

Jessica L. Cora

Jessica L. Cora is the current lab manager for the REALE-TIME Lab and is projected to attend the University of New Mexico as a clinical psychology Ph.D. student in the fall. Her research interests chiefly center around substance use, health risk behaviors, and the heightened impact on adverse sexual outcomes.

Robert D. Dvorak

Robert D. Dvorak is an associate professor in the psychology department at the University of Central Florida. He is the director of the REALE-TIME Lab and a co-director of the Substance Use Research Group (SURG). His research interests involve examining the role of cognitive, affective, and behavioral self-regulation in health-risk behaviors as well as assessing factors associated with health-risk behaviors via ecological momentary assessment and using mobile interventions to reduce involvement in risky behaviors.