The Assessment of Psychopathic Traits and Risk-Taking Using Balloon Analog Risk Task (BART)

Continuing a program of research assessing the utility of the Behavioral Analog Risk Task (BART, Lejuez et al, 2002) as a measure of risk taking, the BART was administered to a non-forensic sample of individuals high and low in self-reported psychopathy. Inter-relations of BART performance with measures of psychopathy and impulsivity were examined, with an emphasis on exploring the predictive validity of self-report measures on overt risk-taking behavior. Following completion of the Self-Report Psychopathy Scale (SRP-II; Hare, 1991), Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS; Barratt, 1985), and the Authority Problems subscale (Pd2) of the MMPI-2 (Harris & Lingoes, 1955), physiological data were collected while participants completed the BART. Results supported the primary hypothesis that higher self-reported psychopathy (SRP-II Factor II: Antisocial Behavior) is predictive of increased risk-taking behavior on the BART. Findings also supported the notion of behavioral symmetry across forensic and nonclinical samples of individuals high in psychopathic traits, revealed interesting gender differences in self-reported psychopathy, and provided psychometric support for both the BART and SRP-II assessment strategies. Future research directions are presented.