A Factor Analysis of Traits Related to Individual Differences in Antisocial Behavior

Male undergraduates and men from the local community completed questionnaires dealing with antisocial behavior, aggression, mating effort, and self-esteem. An exploratory maximum likelihood factor analysis revealed three factors, labeled Aggressiveness, Mating Success, and Antisociality. No clear mating effort factor emerged. Number of sexual partners and Preference for Partner Variety loaded on Mating Success, but age at first intercourse loaded on Antisociality. The only significant correlation among the factors was between Aggressiveness and Antisociality. Variables from each of the 3 factors discriminated between individuals scoring at the extreme ends of the Childhood and Adolescence Taxon Scale–Self Report, a measure containing items previously shown to identify a discrete class of antisocial offenders.