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Abstract

Both early childhood trauma and insecure attachment styles are linked to psychopathic personality traits. The main aim of the present study was to investigate whether insecure attachment styles may serve as mediating variables between childhood trauma and psychopathy in adulthood. Therefore, a potential mediating role of attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance within a sample of 355 male inmates was examined by investigating childhood trauma, attachment styles (ECR-R), and psychopathy scores (PCL-R). A significant positive association between childhood trauma and psychopathy was replicated. The mediation analysis did not show a significant mediation effect through the attachment styles; however, a significant contrast between the two attachment styles was found, indicating that attachment avoidance played a more important role than attachment anxiety in explaining the degree of psychopathic traits. The findings of the present study highlight the necessity of thoroughly considering attachment styles in the treatment of individuals with psychopathic personality structures.

Plain Language Summary

How relevant are childhood trauma and attachment for the development of psychopathy?

Childhood trauma and insecure attachment are linked to psychopathic personality traits. For a better understanding of the development of psychopathy it is important to know the exact relationships between these variables. The current study aims to investigate the mediating role of attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance between trauma and psychopathy by using a sample of 355 persons incarcerated because of violent and sexual offenses. A significant positive association between childhood trauma and psychopathy was found. The mediation analysis showed that attachment avoidance played a more important role than attachment anxiety in explaining psychopathy. Taken together, the findings of the present study supported especially the relevance of attachment avoidance in the development of psychopathy.

Keywords

psychopathy attachment childhood trauma violent offense sexual offense PCL-R

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The Role of Insecure Attachment Styles in the Relationship Between Childhood Trauma and Psychopathy in Adulthood

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