Does Executive Functioning Moderate the Association Between Psychopathic Traits and Antisocial Behavior in Youth?

Abstract

This study examined the interplay of psychopathic traits, executive functioning, and antisocial behavior among adjudicated youth, with a focus on the potential moderating role of executive function. The current study uses data from the Pathways to Desistance dataset was examined, utilizing the Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version (PCL-YV) and the Stroop Color-Word Task to measure psychopathic traits and executive functioning, respectively. Violent and property offending frequencies were self-reported. Both psychopathic traits and lower executive functioning were initially associated with higher frequencies of both violent and property offending. Crucially, a significant interaction emerged: Youth exhibiting higher socially deviant/lifestyle psychopathic traits and weaker executive function were most likely to engage in property offenses. These findings offer insights into specific risk profiles for offending behaviors and underscore the importance of interventions promoting executive function, especially for youth with these characteristics. This study highlights the complex ways in which individual differences contribute to antisocial outcomes.