Poythress Norman G, Douglas Kevin S, Falkenbach Diana, Cruise Keith, Lee Zina, Murrie Daniel C, Vitacco Michael
Department of Mental Health Law & Policy, University of South Florida, FMHI-USF,Tampa, FL 33612-3807, USA.
Assessment. 2006 Mar;13(1):107-13. doi: 10.1177/1073191105284279.
The self-report version of the Antisocial Process Screening Device (APSD) has become a popular measure for assessing psychopathic features in justice-involved adolescents. However, the internal consistency reliability of its component scales (Narcissism, Callous-Unemotional, and Impulsivity) has been questioned in several studies. This study evaluates the internal consistency reliability of the self-report APSD by examining various indices (e.g., Cronbach's alpha, mean interitem correlation) across 11 studies. Whereas the Narcissism and Impulsivity scales display moderate to good reliability, internal consistency indices for the Callous-Unemotional scale are consistently poor across studies. Suggestions are made for revisions to this scale that would substantially improve its internal consistency reliability.
