Hare Psychopathy Checklist
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
- impulsivity
- 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.) <http://www.hare.org/> .
Dean Haycock, Ph.D.
Geri, my cousin is also a psychopath. You're so noble for caring for your granddaughter and her mom. I wish you strength and blessings. For my cousin, we just have to constantly be frank but nurturing to him. We make sure he knows that he is being erratic when he's behaving as such...we let him know how he SHOULD feel about certain things. The more we individualize him, the more he's able to recognize what will gain him affection and respect.
This way, even if they never understand how it feels to be hurt and empathize with their victims, they can be taught to at least see that society will retaliate if they hurt others and stop their control of their own lives, so it doesn't do them any good in the long run either.
In other words, they could be taught to work with their cold, calculating ways to plan actions ahead in better ways, perhaps ?
Any psychopaths out there have feedback on whether they think this approach would help, or if they know any such programs already in place ?
Any advise will be greatly appreciated!!!
Marti - Get rid of your mother. Put her in a nursing home or just dump her. Why jeopardize you and your family members' well being for someone so obnoxious. She is not young but your kids are. They are also vulnerable.
Cindy - For your and your other kids' sake, Institutionalize or kick him out and forget about him.
Unfortunately, your son is exhibiting sociopathic/psychopathic tendencies. The anger and sadism manifesting in animal mutilation is considered a significant precursor to violent behavior later in life. If you can't get him proper mental care, or begin fearing for your or your family's safety, he may be too far removed from normal life, and should be institutionalized. If you explain to him how animals simply desire to live, to explore, and continue to survive, then ask him why he would want to stop that, the response should give you a lot to think about.
I find your comments fascinating. Fascinating because I myself am a sociopath. It's very sad that sociopathic/psychopathic people cannot be more forward with doctor's and clinicians with their disorder. Imagine if you didn't have feelings for anyone but you couldn't tell anyone because of fear of how they would react? It's a very lonely existence. I remember when I became aware that I was a sociopath and how disturbed I was by it. I'm non-violent which makes it easier for me to function in society but I can't imagine how hard it is for others. It really bothers me that the only psychopathic people who receive treatment are the ones who have committed crimes and are incarcerated. Those of us who have never broken the law however, have no choice but to remain silent.
I really want to feel emotion and I would love to be a part of program that was dedicated to helping people build emotional responses. These programs need to exist so that people like myself can be treated. It's hard being trapped in your head all the time. You really don't understand what that's like. People always complain of what it's like to be victim to a sociopath but you rarely hear of what it's like to victim of sociopathy -- to have the disorder.
That's the reason why you hear from the victims - they can verbalise their distress: psycopath or sociopath can't.
I have no solutions, but why not start from the way you felt disturbed when realising you're a sociopath. Try to give more details to it, trying to describe the feeling. It's a bit like describing a taste or a smell, it's always approximate.
No, I'm not a sociopath- obviously, since I am infuriated by what I'm reading. In fact, I could say that anyone who could so easily dispose of others in the name of social balance is a 'sociopath'. I understand a lot of you have been hurt by people without empathy, but I'll tell you what...I have been hurt a *lot* by such a lack of empathy by everyone who is doing OK in life and feels too complacent with life to care about anyone who can't measure up to their standards.
It's people like all of you that make me want to say "screw it" to all the 'knowledge' about psychology, after years of being taught by therapists and doctors to get better mainly so other people will like me. I have Bipolar Disorder and OCD, and the fact that I am expected to accept that I am 'flawed' in comparison to you hypocrites infuriates me. You guys lack the empathy you claim to have more than anyone else, and yet, you only write about yourselves, and do so with such pride. You don't deserve to call yourselves compassionate individuals. Do that when you realize that the world is a cruel place, and people suffer outside of your comfy little worlds and limited awareness.
I also had bi-polar for many years, but it just doesn't bother me that people see me as flawed. We are all of us flawed, and I have tons of awesome amazing friends who don't see me like that. I seek kind, trusting people out, because that is what I try to be. Sociopaths should leave the rest of us alone and hang out with each other. If indeed they feel nothing, then they can't get hurt.
Obviously you have been affected by your problems with OCD and Bipolar Disorder.
Believe me when I say I feel for you and anyone with mental disease problems. I have a friend with OCD and ADHD and sometimes I need time out with him, however he is my friend and he knows that. I have had a few friends with other problems as well and grew up with a mother who frabricated stories and manipulated others to further her own ends...but I would not go so far to say she was a psychopath, simply a very smart woman who did not live to her potential.
Now, having said that...you are dead wrong about psychopaths. Most are dangerous to society at large in one way or another. I will never befriend a psychopath simply because we can never be best friends who love one another. I will work along side with one, but I will always be watchful.
The few overriding factors that separates psychopathy from other mental disorders is: Psychopaths KNOW EXACTLY what they are and definitely know right from wrong. They are usually intelligent and want what they want with no regard for others. I am not talking about the 1% who are killers and criminals...it's the other 4% that appear normal and live amongst us.
Our only defense (we empaths) is to recognize these differences.
I do agree that before passing judgements, people need to learn more about different mental diseases. For example, I recently learned that autism is opposite to psychopathy.
Psychopaths became really good at reading people so that they can be socially responsive...however usually with ulterior motives. Autistics are empathetic but cannot read people. However they do have human emotions unlike psychopaths.
I am fascinated about what is being learned within the brains. THIS IS SCIENCE!
Perhaps one day, these brain problems can be corrected when discovered in young children.
Now that is what we all ought to hope for.
Also, did you know that psychopathy is inherited (the brain problem I mentioned)?
That ought to tell you something.
At 15 he was convicted of kidnapping, attempted murder, robbery, grand theft auto ad nauseum. He is now 42 and has spent over half his life incarcerated.
On this Christmas Eve he was released from custody. The first thing he did was telephone my 19 year old grand daughter and ask for money and transportation. She gave him neither and received a death threat for her troubles.
We have tried everything possible to help him but nothing works. We have written him off, disengaged ourselves entirely and hope he obeys the state restraining order. Small chance of that though.
The second showed anti-social problems at a very early age of 9 years. He was also incarcerated at 15 for multiple felonies. When he got out at 21 I warned him he would not survive to 30 if he didn't change his ways. Prophetic words! One day before his 30th birthday he was killed committing another violent crime. Such is life in the real world.
I'll admit to being firm in my views on sociopaths. I feel they have no place in our society unless willing to learn and change their ways. My twenty seven years in law enforcement has exposed me to too many of this ilk.
Sorry to hear your are outraged by those of us who are considered to be "normal." You obviously have NO idea what it is like to try to love someone who displays psychopathic traits on a daily basis. Try to imagine every single thing, in your life, being disordered/erratic/unstable/awry/confabulated//hidden/damaged/ignored/lost. Try to imagine walking around on eggshells, so you don't set-off another rage-attack from the one who is supposed to love you beyond all others. Try to imagine being rejected and neglected, on a constant basis. Try to imagine realizing that your husband not only does NOT love you, but does NOT love his/your children, either. Try to imagine what it is like to be told your mate is no longer interested in having sex with you, then you find him, all over the house, engaged in the act of self-gratification. What's MY problem? Rejection and neglect. What's his problem? Fear of intimacy, as well as many other issues, caused by his ever worsening psychopathy.
The sociopaths I've dealt with have been seriously destructive. I have one on my team now and luckily he's thrown himself into a corner and been restricted so much that his overblown sense of ego and accomplishment is becoming glaringly obvious (He's failing really bad at something now and has nobody to blame but himself). I certainly don't think he has redemption in him, it's clearly apparent that he will push his anti-social tendencies to the maximum ability of any given situation. When he is denied control, he gets visibly upset.
I'm starting to find it funny, but for the longest time I found him very stressful and anxiety inducing, before I was aware of what he was. Now that I know he's really kind of a moron and a sociopath, it will be very easy to make a case against him by ignoring him and just documenting his anti-social behaviors. If he loses his job and ends up on the street should I feel bad? Well the one thing I do know is that if he put me on the street, he wouldn't feel bad. So I choose actively to limit my empathy for him, because I know he does not have it for me or any other coworkers.