Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2025 Sep 22;15(9):1293.
doi: 10.3390/bs15091293.

Exploring Attachment-Related Factors and Psychopathic Traits: A Systematic Review Focused on Women

Marina Leonor Pinheiro  1   2 , Ana Beatriz Machado  1   2 , Rui Abrunhosa Gonçalves  1   2 , Sónia Caridade  1   2 , Olga Cunha  1   2
Affiliations
Review

Exploring Attachment-Related Factors and Psychopathic Traits: A Systematic Review Focused on Women

Marina Leonor Pinheiro et al. Behav Sci (Basel). .

Abstract

Psychopathy in women remains understudied, particularly regarding the role of early relational experiences such as attachment. This systematic review aims to synthesize the current evidence on the association between attachment-related factors and psychopathic traits in women. A structured search following PRISMA guidelines across multidisciplinary databases (Scopus-Elsevier®, ESBCO®, Pubmed®, Sage Publishing®, B-On, and Web of Science-Core Collection®) yielded 147 articles, of which eight met the inclusion criteria. The majority of the studies met three to four out of the five methodological quality criteria. Findings indicate that insecure attachment styles are differentially associated with psychopathy. Avoidant attachment is positively linked to callous-unemotional traits, whereas the role of anxious attachment appears more heterogeneous. Some studies associate it with higher levels of affective traits and secondary psychopathy, while others identify it as a negative predictor of callous-unemotional features in women. Avoidant attachment was also negatively correlated with empathy and positively related to maladaptive emotion regulation strategies, particularly among women with secondary psychopathic traits. Negative maternal parenting was associated with elevated psychopathic traits, whereas positive parental involvement acted as a protective factor. Additional predictors included early maladaptive schemas and childhood risk factors such as parental criminality and poor supervision. These findings highlight the relevance of early intervention and attachment-informed approaches in forensic risk assessment, trauma-informed care, and prevention programs targeting women with psychopathic traits.

Keywords: attachment-related factors; psychopathic traits; women.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.. My coauthors, Rui Abrunhosa Gonçalves, Olga Cunha, Ana Beatriz Machado, and I, Marina Pinheiro, do not have any interests that might be interpreted as influencing the research, and APA ethical standards were followed in the conduct of the study. This study was carried out at the Psychology Research Center (PSI/01662), School of Psychology at the University of Minho, supported by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) through the Portuguese State Budget (UIDB/01662/2020). I will be serving as the corresponding author for this manuscript. The coauthors and author listed in the byline have agreed to the byline order to submit the manuscript. I am responsible for keeping investigators informed of our progress through the editorial review process, the content of the reviews, and any reviews made.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses—Flow diagram of the study selection process. Note. Adapted from Moher et al. (2009).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Ainsworth M. D. S., Blehar M. C., Waters E., Wall S. Patterns of attachment: A psychological study of the strange situation. Lawrence Erlbaum; 1978.
    1. Amir-Behghadami M., Janati A. Population, intervention, comparison, outcomes and study (PICOS) design as a framework to formulate eligibility criteria in systematic reviews. Emergency Medicine Journal: EMJ. 2020;37(6):387. doi: 10.1136/emermed-2020-209567. - DOI - PubMed
    1. *Arrigo B. A., Griffin A. Serial murder and the case of Aileen Wuornos: Attachment theory, psychopathy, and predatory aggression. Behavioral Sciences & the Law. 2004;22(3):375–393. doi: 10.1002/bsl.583. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Beaver K. M., Barnes J. C., May J. S., Schwartz J. A. Psychopathic personality traits, genetic risk, and gene-environment correlations. Criminal Justice and Behavior. 2011;38(9):896–912. doi: 10.1177/0093854811411153. - DOI
    1. Bisby M. A., Kimonis E. R., Goulter N. Low maternal warmth mediates the relationship between emotional neglect and callous-unemotional traits among male juvenile offenders. Journal of Child and Family Studies. 2017;26(7):1790–1798. doi: 10.1007/s10826-017-0719-3. - DOI

LinkOut - more resources