Components of the Triarchic Model of Psychopathy are nested within the Five-Factor Model

The Triarchic Model of Psychopathy (Patrick, Krueger, & Fowles, 2009) is a recently developed model of psychopathy that identifies three primary domains: Boldness, Meanness, and Disinhibition. These traits overlap substantially with general and pathological five-factor models (FFM) of personality (Boldness = low Neuroticism + high Extraversion; Meanness = low Agreeableness; Disinhibition = low Conscientiousness). In the current study, (total N = 1,266) we compare domains from the triarchic model of psychopathy and FFM in relation to self- and informant-report of external criteria (e.g., pathological traits, antisocial behavior), and quantified their absolute similarity using a profile matching approach. The corresponding traits from these models show large interrelations and very similar convergent and divergent relations, suggesting that un-altered traits from one can be considered excellent representations of the other. Results are discussed in terms of the benefits of using a unifying trait-based model to study psychopathy, as well as personality disorders more broadly.