Definition
The Hare
Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) is a diagnostic tool used to rate a
person's psychopathic or antisocial tendencies. People who are psychopathic
prey ruthlessly on others using charm, deceit, violence or other methods that
allow them to get with they want. The symptoms of psychopathy include: lack of
a conscience or sense of guilt, lack of empathy, egocentricity, pathological lying,
repeated violations of social norms, disregard for the law, shallow emotions,
and a history of victimizing others.
Originally designed to assess
people accused or convicted of crimes, the PCL-R consists of a 20-item symptom
rating scale that allows qualified examiners to compare a subject's degree of
psychopathy with that of a prototypical psychopath.
It is accepted by many in the field as the best method for determining the
presence and extent of psychopathy in a person.
The Hare checklist is still
used to diagnose members of the original population for which it was developed—
adult males in prisons, criminal psychiatric hospitals, and awaiting
psychiatric evaluations or trial in other correctional and detention
facilities. Recent experience suggests that the PCL-R may also be used
effectively to diagnose sex offenders as well as female and adolescent
offenders.
Purpose
The PCL-R is used for
diagnosing psychopathy in individuals for clinical, legal or research purposes.
Developed in the early 1990s, the test was originally designed to identify the
degree of a person's psychopathic tendencies. Because psychopaths, however, are
often repeat offenders who commit sexual assaults or other violent crimes again
and again, the PCL-R is now finding use in the courtroom and in institutions as
an indicator of the potential risk posed by subjects or prisoners. The results
of the examination have been used in forensic settings as a factor in deciding
the length and type of prison sentences and the treatment subjects should or
should not receive.
Precautions
Obviously, diagnosing someone
as a psychopath is a very serious step. It has important implications for a
person and for his or her associates in family, clinical and forensic settings.
Therefore, the test must be administered by professionals who have been
specifically trained in its use and who have a wide-ranging and up-to-date
familiarity with studies of psychopathy.
Professionals who administer
the diagnostic examination should have advanced degrees (M.D., Ph.D., or D.Ed.)
in a medical, behavioral or social science field; and registered with a
reputable organization that oversees psychiatric or psychological testing and
diagnostic procedures. Other recommendations include experience working with
convicted or accused criminals or several years of some other related
on-the-job training. Because the results are used so often in legal cases,
those who administer it should be qualified to serve as expert witnesses in the
courtroom. It is also a good idea, if possible, for two experts to test a
subject independently with the PCL-R. The final rating would then be determined
by averaging their scores.
Many studies conducted in North
America and Europe attest to the value of the PCL-R for evaluating a person's
degree of psychopathic traits and, in many cases, for predicting the likelihood
of future violent behavior. Some critics, however, are more skeptical about its
value.
Description
The Hare PCL-R contains two
parts, a semi-structured interview and a review of the subject's file records
and history. During the evaluation, the clinician scores 20 items that measure
central elements of the psychopathic character. The items cover the nature of
the subject's interpersonal relationships; his or her affective or emotional
involvement; responses to other people and to situations; evidence of social
deviance; and lifestyle. The material thus covers two key aspects that help
define the psychopath: selfish and unfeeling victimization of
other people, and an unstable and antisocial lifestyle.
The twenty traits assessed by
the PCL-R score are:
glib and superficial charm
grandiose (exaggeratedly high)
estimation of self
need for stimulation
pathological lying
cunning and manipulativeness
lack of remorse or guilt
shallow affect (superficial
emotional responsiveness)
callousness and lack of
empathy
parasitic lifestyle
poor behavioral controls
sexual promiscuity
early behavior problems
lack of realistic long-term
goals
irresponsibility
failure to accept
responsibility for own actions
many short-term marital
relationships
juvenile delinquency
revocation of conditional
release
criminal versatility
The interview portion of the
evaluation covers the subject's background, including such items as work and
educational history; marital and family status; and criminal background.
Because psychopaths lie frequently and easily, the information they provide
must be confirmed by a review of the documents in the subject's case history.
Results
When properly completed by a
qualified professional, the PCL-R provides a total score that indicates how
closely the test subject matches the "perfect" score that a classic
or prototypical psychopath would rate. Each of the twenty items is given a
score of 0, 1, or 2 based on how well it applies to the subject being tested. A
prototypical psychopath would receive a maximum score of 40, while someone with
absolutely no psychopathic traits or tendencies would receive a score of zero.
A score of 30 or above qualifies a person for a diagnosis of
psychopathy. People with no criminal backgrounds normally score around 5. Many
non-psychopathic criminal offenders score around 22.
See also Antisocial
personality disorder ; Sexual sadism
Resources
BOOKS
Black, Donald W., and C.
Lindon Larson. Bad Boys, Bad Men, Confronting Antisocial Personality
Disorder. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1999.
Hare, Robert D. Without
Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us. New York,
NY: The Guilford Press, 1993.
PERIODICALS
Freedman, M. David.
"False prediction of future dangerousness: Error rates and Psychopathy
Checklist-Revised." Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and
Law 29, no. 1 (March, 2001): 89-95.
Grann, M., N. Langström, A.
Tengström and G. Kullgren. "Psychopathy (PCL-R) predicts violent recidivism among
criminal offenders with personality disorders in Sweden." Law and
Human Behavior 23, no. 2 (April, 1999): 205-217.
OTHER
Hare, Robert D. Dr. Robert
Hare's Page for the Study of Psychopaths. January 29, 2002 (cited April 5,
2002.) .
Dean Haycock, Ph.D.
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