Validation and Measurement Invariance of the Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits in Chinese Incarcerated and Normative Samples

Objective: This study examined the factor structure and psychometric properties of the Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits (ICU) in a large sample of incarcerated Chinese male inmates and its measurement invariance with an independent normative sample of Chinese adults. We further investigated the external validity of the ICU in the incarcerated sample. 

Hypotheses: We hypothesized that the short forms of ICU would (a) provide a better model fit and greater internal consistency than the original 24-item ICU, (b) demonstrate measurement invariance between incarcerated and normative samples, and (c) show satisfactory external validity with a variety of external criterion measures. 

Method: A sample of incarcerated Chinese men (N = 498; M_age = 33.14) and a normative sample of Chinese adults (N = 168; M_age = 23.45, 41% male) self-reported on the ICU. The incarcerated sample also self-reported multiple psychosocial external measures. 

Results: A short form of the ICU containing 11 items with two correlated factors (Callousness and Uncaring) demonstrated superior model fit, internal consistency, scalar invariance across the two samples, and external validity.