- Hostility (AMPD criterion B) was the most robust unique predictor of aggression in incarcerated adult men, outperforming overall personality impairment and Risk Taking.
- Overall personality impairment showed significant correlation with aggression but negligible independent effect in multivariable models when controlling for pathological traits.
- Findings support theories positing hostile affect and antagonistic cognition as proximal mechanisms of aggression and endorse AMPD Hostility assessment for violence risk formulation.
J Pers Disord. 2026 Aug;40(4):309-328. doi: 10.1521/pedi.2026.40.4.309.
ABSTRACT
This study examined associations between aggression and constructs from the Alternative Model for Personality Disorders (AMPD) in a sample of 87 incarcerated adult men. Participants completed self-report measures of personality functioning (Criterion A), pathological personality traits (Criterion B), aggression, and impression management. Pearson correlations indicated that overall personality impairment and multiple pathological traits were significantly associated with aggression. In multivariable regression models, Hostility emerged as the most robust unique predictor of aggression, while overall personality impairment and Risk Taking showed negligible independent effects. These findings were replicated across supplementary analyses controlling for impression management. Overall, the findings align with theoretical models emphasizing hostile affect and antagonistic cognition as proximal mechanisms of aggression and highlight the value of AMPD-derived Hostility assessment within violence risk formulations. Results contribute much-needed data to an understudied field and provide a foundation for future research using larger forensic samples to refine AMPD-based models of aggression.
PMID:42546159 | DOI:10.1521/pedi.2026.40.4.309
Share Evidence Blueprint
Save to Google Notes
Search Google Scholar
Save as PDF
⭐ My Revision List
