Psychopathic Traits and Sensation Seeking in Young General Population

The construct of psychopathy encompasses the manifestation of psychopathic traits in subclinical populations related to sensation seeking. This study aims to examine the relationship between these two constructs and to determine whether differences exist as a function of age and gender. Method: A to...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Moral Jiménez, María de la Villa|||0000-0003-2421-9675, Sierra Sánchez, Ana
Format: article
Publication Date:2026
Country:España
Institution:Universidad de Barcelona
Repository:RUO. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Oviedo
Language:English
OAI Identifier:oai:dnet:ruo_________::739a6b98f3befaf94ab374aa37e65bfb
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10651/83683
https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/bs16040504
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:psychopathy
sensation seeking
disinhibition
subclinical population
Description
Summary:The construct of psychopathy encompasses the manifestation of psychopathic traits in subclinical populations related to sensation seeking. This study aims to examine the relationship between these two constructs and to determine whether differences exist as a function of age and gender. Method: A total of 345 participants aged between 18 and 40 years (M = 24.72, SD = 5.60) were recruited and completed the Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale (LSRP) and the Brief Sensation Seeking Scale (BSS). Results: Positive and significant correlations were found between the three psychopathy factors and the disinhibition subscale. Specifically, the interpersonal and behavioural factors were positively associated with disinhibition, whereas the affective factor showed a negative association. Gender differences were observed, with men scoring higher on the behavioural factor of psychopathy, disinhibition and sensation seeking. Conclusions: The findings confirm the relationship between psychopathy and sensation seeking in a subclinical population and contribute to a better understanding of their potential implications.