Dr Ryan Botha1
1Department Of Corrections, New Zealand
Biography:
Dr Ryan Botha is a registered neuropsychologist and correctional psychology researcher. His primary areas of speciality include clinical neuropsychological assessment, personality assessment (psychopathy) and quantitative/qualitative research. Ryan initially worked as a Senior Psychologist at Auckland South Correctional Facility (ASCF) before taking up a researcher role in the Office of the Chief Psychologist at Ara Poutama Aotearoa. Ryan currently leads the psychology research programme at Ara Poutama Aotearoa where his primary focus is on the validation of clinical risk assessment tools, enhancing approaches to bi-cultural psychology and programme evaluation.
Abstract:
The present study examined the psychometric properties of the Hare Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version (PCL: SV; Hart, Cox & Hare, 1995) in a sample of 652 male offenders in New Zealand. Discrimination analyses (n = 371) showed that PCL: SV total scores had moderate predictive accuracy for any new offence committed within five years of release. There was also evidence for the predictive accuracy of PCL: SV Factor 2 scores for violent recidivism within five years of release. PCL: SV Total and Factor 2 scores showed moderate predictive accuracy for serious institutional violence in a subset of incarcerated offenders (n = 102). An analysis of the construct validity of the PCL: SV showed convergent validity between PCL: SV Total, Factor and Facet scores with subscales of the Structured Dynamic Assessment Case-Management 21-item (SDAC-21) and Dynamic Risk Assessment of Offender Re-entry (DRAOR). Confirmatory factor analyses supported the 3-factor model of PCL psychopathy (Cooke & Michie, 2001) and partial scalar invariance of PCL: SV scores across indigenous Māori and NZ European cohorts.