Prototypical analysis of antisocial personality disorder - A study of inmate samples

The diagnosis of Antisocial Personality Disorder CAPD) remains controversia l with its inclusion criteria substantially modified with each new version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Given the con tinued nonconsensus about this disorder, prototypical analysis has been pro posed as a method of establishing the core and most representative APD char acteristics. Building on earlier prototypical research, the current study e xamined APD prototype with 448 inmates from three correctional institutions . Inmates differed from forensic experts on prototypical ratings in their e mphasis on behavioral manifestations, especially aggressive and anti-social 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 sc ores based on earlier research revealed that the salience of "manipulation and lack of guilt" for forensic experts was not shared by inmates. The impl ications of prototypical analysis for the conceptualization of APD are disc ussed.