PSYCHOPATHY-RELATED TRAITS PREDICT SELF-REPORTED SEXUAL AGGRESSION AMONG COLLEGE MEN

To examine whether personality traits related to psychopathy predict s pecific forms of sexual aggression in college men, a sample of 378 men completed the Sexual Experiences Survey (SES) the Socialization Scale , and the Narcissistic Personality Inventory. Psychopathy Checklist ra tings were also available for 63 of these men based on a brief intervi ew. The SES is a self-report measure designed to assess a spectrum of sexually aggressive behavior ranging from use of argument or a positio n of power to impel participation in sexual activity, through manipula tive intoxication and exploitation of intoxicated persons, to threaten ing and/or using force. Regression analyses indicated that measures of both dimensions of psychopathy identified in previous research accoun ted for variance in self-reports of sexual aggression. Moreover; altho ugh moderately correlated, the two dimensions predicted different form s of sexual aggression. Implications for studying psychopathic traits in college samples are discussed.