Alexandria K. Johnson

• University of Alabama

Individuals with psychopathic traits are thought to have deficits in emotion recognition, yet they are also known for being manipulative and conning, a skill that necessitates sensitivity to social cues. One unanswered question is whether psychopathic individuals can recognize subtleties in the expression of emotion, such as whether an expression i...

The concept of ‘successful’ psychopathy has intrigued the field, yet relatively little actual science exists to understand what makes those high in psychopathic traits more or less successful, or even what constitutes ‘success.’ In the current study, we examined the validity of the moderated expression hypothesis, including an elaborated version th...

For years, researchers have tried to explain predictive features of psychopathic behavior and externalizing personality traits (Stupperich & Strack, 2016). Among this list is animal abuse. Although animal abuse is commonly linked with psychopathy, previous studies have provided mixed results regarding this relationship and its predictive features (...

Early-life exposure to childhood maltreatment, whether physically-, emotionally-, and/or sexually-based has been linked consistently to psychological distress throughout the lifespan, including the development of personality disorders (PDs). Individuals with PD diagnoses are at an increased risk for criminal behavior, and borderline and antisocial...

The construct of Machiavellianism has been questioned; however, research has largely relied on using the Mach-IV scale within community and student samples. The current study used an incarcerated sample (N = 184) to compare alternative measures of Machiavellianism, assess associations between Machiavellianism and psychopathy, and evaluate the utili...

For years, researchers have tried to explain predictive features of psychopathic behavior (Stupperich & Strack, 2016). Among this list, is animal abuse and cruelty to animals. Although animal abuse is commonly linked with psychopathy, previous studies have provided mixed results regarding this relationship (Ascione & Shapiro, 2009; Arluke & Madfis,...

This study aimed to distinguish personality traits that are widely associated with several types of externalizing behaviors from personality traits that are more selectively associated with one or only a few specific types of externalizing behavior. A wide range of externalizing behaviors (e.g. alcohol and drug use, risky driving, aggressive acts,...

The triarchic model characterizes psychopathy in terms of three distinct dispositional constructs of boldness, meanness, and disinhibition. The model can be operationalized through scales designed specifically to index these domains or by using items from other inventories that provide coverage of related constructs. The present study sought to dev...

Families are a key source of support for National Guard Soldiers, yet little is known about the influence of parents on Soldiers’ pre-deployment well-being. In this chapter, we examine the potential role family may play in the psychological well-being of National Guard Soldiers. We present initial findings from the Readiness and Resilience in Natio...

This study sought to further elucidate the associations between psychopathy and the Fight–Flight–Freeze System (FFFS), Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS), and Behavioral Approach System (BAS) constructs in a large offender sample. More specifically, we examined whether individual differences in these systems would mediate the relationship between p...

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM 5) classification of antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) describes individuals who engage in repetitive irresponsible, delinquent, and criminal behavior. The diagnosis is highly controversial, with many researchers and clinicians arguing that the category is too heterogeneous, overin...

Although women in the military are exposed to combat and its aftermath, little is known about whether combat as well as pre-deployment risk/protective factors differentially predict post-deployment PTSD symptoms among women compared to men. The current study assesses the influence of combat-related stressors and pre-deployment risk/protective facto...