The Revised Assessment of Sadistic Personality (ASP-8): Evidence for Validity across Four Countries

TY - JOUR

T1 - The Revised Assessment of Sadistic Personality (ASP-8)

T2 - Evidence for Validity across Four Countries

AU - Plouffe, Rachel A.

AU - Kowalski, Christopher Marcin

AU - Papageorgiou, Kostas A.

AU - Dinić, Bojana M.

AU - Artamonova, Elena

AU - Dagnall, Neil

AU - Denovan, Andrew

AU - Gianniou, Foteini-Maria

AU - Kyriazos, Theodoros

AU - Saklofske, Donald H.

AU - Stalikas, Anastassios

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2022 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

N2 - Subclinical sadism, characterized by infliction of cruelty, aggression, or humiliation on another for subjugation or pleasure, provides important information in the prediction of aversive behaviors that have implications for individuals’ and society’s well-being worldwide. Given sadism’s universal relevance, it is imperative that researchers ensure valid and reliable trait measurement not only among English-speaking individuals, but also cross-nationally among countries in which sadism remains relatively understudied. The objective of the current research was to validate the revised version of the Assessment of Sadistic Personality (ASP-8) (Plouffe et al., 2017) across samples of Russian (n = 1087, M age = 37.36, SD = 10.36), Greek (n = 1195, M age = 35.64, SD age = 13.08), Serbian (n = 443, M age = 28.10, SD age = 6.60), and British (n = 511, M age = 28.50, SD age = 11.62) adults. Overall, results supported the reliability, dimensionality, and scalar/partial scalar measurement invariance of the ASP-8 across cross-national samples. Convergent and discriminant validity were mostly supported through correlations with general personality traits, the Dark Triad, emotional intelligence, mental toughness, depression, anxiety, stress, satisfaction with life, aggression, and attitudes toward social groups. Based on our findings, we recommend the use of the ASP-8 in future investigations of aversive traits.

AB - Subclinical sadism, characterized by infliction of cruelty, aggression, or humiliation on another for subjugation or pleasure, provides important information in the prediction of aversive behaviors that have implications for individuals’ and society’s well-being worldwide. Given sadism’s universal relevance, it is imperative that researchers ensure valid and reliable trait measurement not only among English-speaking individuals, but also cross-nationally among countries in which sadism remains relatively understudied. The objective of the current research was to validate the revised version of the Assessment of Sadistic Personality (ASP-8) (Plouffe et al., 2017) across samples of Russian (n = 1087, M age = 37.36, SD = 10.36), Greek (n = 1195, M age = 35.64, SD age = 13.08), Serbian (n = 443, M age = 28.10, SD age = 6.60), and British (n = 511, M age = 28.50, SD age = 11.62) adults. Overall, results supported the reliability, dimensionality, and scalar/partial scalar measurement invariance of the ASP-8 across cross-national samples. Convergent and discriminant validity were mostly supported through correlations with general personality traits, the Dark Triad, emotional intelligence, mental toughness, depression, anxiety, stress, satisfaction with life, aggression, and attitudes toward social groups. Based on our findings, we recommend the use of the ASP-8 in future investigations of aversive traits.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85129134376

U2 - 10.1080/00223891.2022.2055476

DO - 10.1080/00223891.2022.2055476

M3 - Article

C2 - 35412410

AN - SCOPUS:85129134376

SN - 0022-3891

VL - 105

SP - 149

EP - 162

JO - Journal of Personality Assessment

JF - Journal of Personality Assessment

IS - 2

ER -