The Persian version of the Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory-Short Version (YPI-S): A psychometric evaluation

Abstract

Studies on the psychopathy construct are mostly limited to Western cultures, and there is a lack of research in this area in non-Western countries, specifically in Iran. The present study aimed to examine the factor structure, internal consistency, and convergent validity of the Persian version of the Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory-Short Version (YPI-S) with a sample of 668 school-attending adolescents in Iran (46% girls; Mage = 16.35). Confirmatory factor analysis supported the proposed three-factor model. While the internal consistency of some YPI-S scores was unsatisfactory, the YPI-S scores showed the expected relations with external correlates (e.g., aggression, hyperactivity), supporting the validity of YPI-S scores. The authors’ results supported the YPI-S for assessing psychopathic traits in Iranian adolescents. The modification of the YPI-S factor structure, the low factor loadings of some YPI-S items, and the inadequate internal consistency of some YPI-S dimensions indicate cultural influences on the assessment of cross-cultural traits.