To Örebro University

Meanness and Disinhibition are two components of psychopathic personality,

conceptualized by the Triarchic Psychopathic Model (Tri-PM). Psychopathic

personality traits are related to criminal behavior. There is however, little research

on how meanness and disinhibition relate to violent crime and non-violent crime.

Data were drawn from a sample of college students and prison inmates (N = 1,787

mean age = 26.8 years). Meanness, disinhibition, violent crime and non-violent

crime was measured using the Externalizing Spectrum Inventory ([ESI] Krueger

et al., 2007). The results indicated that meanness and disinhibition explained 61%

of the variance in violent crime and 77% of the variance in non-violent crime.

Disinhibition had a stronger relation to both violent crime and non-violent crime.

There was also a small, but significant interaction effect of meanness and

disinhibition on violent crime and non-violent crime. The results support the

theoretical outlines of the Tri-PM. Implications from these findings are that the

ESI and the Tri-PM can be used risk assessment tools and in work related to crime

prevention. Future research should in addition to meanness and disinhibition also

include boldness from the Tri-PM and more severe violent types of crime in order

to examine how these traits relate to intentions of violent- and non-violent crime.

Meanness och disinhibition ar tva komponenter av psykopatisk personlighet,

konceptualiserad utifran The Triarchic Psychopahtic Model (The Tri-PM).

Psykopatisk personlighet ar relaterat till brottsliga beteenden. Det finns dock lite

forskning pa hur meanness och disinhibition relaterar till våldsbrott och ickevåldsbrott.

Data drogs fran ett urval av universitetsstudenter och intagna i fangelse

(N = 1 787 medelalder = 26,8 ar). Meanness, disinhibition, våldsbrott och ickevåldsbrott

mattes med The Externalizing Spectrum Inventory ([ESI] Krueger et

al., 2007). Variablerna analyserades med linjara multipla regressionsanalyser.

Resultatet indikerade att meanness och disinhibition forklarade 61% av variansen

av våldsbrott och 77% av variansen av icke-våldsbrott. Disinhibition hade en

starkare relation till bade våldsbrott och icke-våldsbrott. Det fanns aven en liten,

men signifikant interaktionseffekt for våldsbrott och ickevåldsbrott. Resultatet

stodjer den teoretiska utgangspunkten fran Tri-PM. Implikationer fran dessa fynd

ar att ESI och Tri-PM kan anvandas som riskbedomningsverktyg och

brottsforebyggande syfte. Framtida forskning bor tillsammans med meanness och

disinhibition aven inkludera boldness fran Tri-PM och mer grova typer av

valdsamma brott for att undersoka hur dessa drag relaterar till olika avsikter for

brott.