The Structures Of Antisocial Personality Trait And Their Relationships With Parental Bonding Styles

BackgroundAntisocial Personality Disorder (APD) is characterized by "a pervasive pattern of disregard for, and violation of, the rights of others that begins in childhood or early adolescence and continues into adulthood" (Ameirican Psychiatric Association, 1968). Individuals with antisocial pesonality disorder generally disobey social norms and usually violate regulations and laws. They often harm others and threaten the maintaining of the social stability and harmony. In Chinese culture, collectivism might influence the structures of antisocial personality trait; and parental bonding styles might fundamentally affect the development of antisocial personality. Therefore, it's necessary for us to research on the factors that influence the antisocial personality trait.Aims(1) To explore the structures of antisocial personality trait in Chinese culture;(2) To examine the relationships between parental bonding styles and antisocial personality traits.Methods(1) We extracted adjectives describing antisocial personality from two major Chinese dictionaries. An antisocial personality related adjective list consisting of 48 items was obtained. We tried the 48 adjectives on 301 university students, and extracted a 30-item Chinese Adjectival Descriptors for Antisocial Personality Trait (CADAP).(2) We administered the CADAP on another 448 Chinese university students.(3) Seven hundred and eighty-seven subjects (167 adolescent, 422 adult university students and 198 personality disorder patients) answered the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) and the Dimensional Assessment of Personality Pathology (DAPP).Results(1) We identified a three-factor-structure of antisocial personality trait, which consists of "Fierce and Malicious", "Assaulting" and "Intolerant", that reflects the interpersonal, affective and behavioral features of antisocial personality.(2) CADAP we developed has a good reliability and structural validity. We also have established the normative data for two genders respectively.(3) A three-factor-structure of PBI was comfirmed for both father's and mother's versions, including Care, Freedom Control and Autonomy Denial, which were similar to those reported in North America and Europe.(4) PBI scales moderately predicted the antisocial personality traits measured in DAPP. High maternal Autonomy Denial predicted high Cognitive Distortion, Stimulus Seeking, Callousness, Oppositionality, Rejection, Conduct Problems and Suspiciousness. While low maternal Care predicted high Stimulus Seeking, Oppositionality, Rejection and Conduct Problems. Low paternal Care and high paternal Freedom Control predicted Conduct Problems.Conclusions(1) For the first time, we found the structures of antisocial personality trait through lexical approach in Chinese culture. People would rate themselves in a way fitting the Chinese collectivistic environment, by expressing the antisocial trait in a more internalizing than externalizing way, and holding more constraints on their behaviors, especially criminal activities.(2) Negative parental bonding styles, especially lower Care and higher Autonomy Denial from both parents, contributed to the development of antisocial personality trait.