Which statement about gender differences in psychopathy is supported by the material?

Which statement about gender differences in psychopathy is supported by the material?

• A. Mean PCL-R score is higher for women
• B. Mean PCL-R score is the same for women and men
• C. Mean PCL-R score is lower for women
• D. There is no data on gender differences

Answer: (C)

Mean PCL-R scores being lower in women reflects the pattern described in the material: women, on average, score less on the PCL-R than men. The PCL-R assesses psychopathic traits across interpersonal, affective, lifestyle, and antisocial domains, and the material indicates that these traits, as measured by this checklist, tend to be less pronounced in women in the contexts studied. Because data on gender differences exists and shows this lower mean for women, that statement is the best-supported conclusion. The alternatives—women scoring higher, equality between genders, or no data—do not fit what the material reports.

Mean PCL-R scores being lower in women reflects the pattern described in the material: women, on average, score less on the PCL-R than men. The PCL-R assesses psychopathic traits across interpersonal, affective, lifestyle, and antisocial domains, and the material indicates that these traits, as measured by this checklist, tend to be less pronounced in women in the contexts studied. Because data on gender differences exists and shows this lower mean for women, that statement is the best-supported conclusion. The alternatives—women scoring higher, equality between genders, or no data—do not fit what the material reports.