Psychopathy

2012 ◽  
pp. 477-504 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert D. Hare ◽  
Craig S. Neumann ◽  
Thomas A. Widiger
Keyword(s):  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Psychopathy Checklist ◽  
Dsm 5 ◽  
Psychopathy Checklist Revised ◽  
Biological Aspects ◽  
Personality Disposition

Psychopathy refers to the personality disposition to charm, manipulate, and ruthlessly exploit other persons. Psychopathic persons are lacking in conscience and feeling for others; they selfishly take what they want and do as they please without the slightest sense of guilt or regret. Psychopathy is among the oldest and arguably the most heavily researched, well-validated, and well-established personality disorder. Yet it has only indirect, informal entry in the DSMs. This chapter discusses traditional alternative conceptualizations of psychopathy, emphasizing in particular the influential and heavily researched Psychopathy Checklist-Revised. Discussed as well is the existing research concerning the epidemiology, etiology, course, treatment, and biological aspects of psychopathy, as well as its implications for DSM-5.

Covariates of the Severity of Aggression in Sexual Crimes: Psychopathy and Borderline Characteristics

Sexual Abuse ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 154-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Cardona ◽  
Ariel K. Berman ◽  
Judith E. Sims-Knight ◽  
Raymond A. Knight
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Sexual Offending ◽  
Borderline Personality ◽  
Emotional Dysregulation ◽  
Emotional Instability ◽  
Sexual Crimes ◽  
Psychopathy Checklist ◽  
Psychopathy Checklist Revised ◽  
Sexually Offended

Whereas risk assessment literature on sexual offending has primarily focused on prediction of subsequent sexual crimes, and not the severity of those crimes, the first aim of the present study was to identify variables that predict the amount of damage to victims in sexual crimes compared with those that predict general aggressiveness. The second aim was to ascertain whether adding emotional instability measurements, as in borderline personality disorder (BPD), would add incremental variance to that captured by the facets of the Psychopathy Checklist–Revised (PCL-R). Trained raters assessed on the PCL-R, BPD, and measures of severity of sexual and nonsexual violence 302 adults who had sexually offended. PCL-R’s Antisociality and two externalizing BPD factors (one from the standard and one from the alternative criteria) were significant predictors of violence both in sexual and nonsexual crimes. In contrast, deficits in the PCL-R’s Affective facet (2) predicted victim damage in sexual contexts only, whereas the Lifestyle Impulsivity facet (3) of the PCL-R predicted violence in nonsexual contexts only. These findings suggest that adding measures of emotional dysregulation to commonly used instruments like the PCL-R, which assesses callousness and antisociality, may be beneficial for predicting violence.

scholarly journals Value of standard personality assessments in informing clinical decision-making in a medium secure unit

2007 ◽  
Vol 190 (S49) ◽  
pp. s15-s19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Conor Duggan ◽  
Lauren Mason ◽  
Penny Banerjee ◽  
John Milton
Keyword(s):  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Clinical Decision Making ◽  
Clinical Decision ◽  
Marginal Effect ◽  
Consecutive Series ◽  
Personality Assessments ◽  
Psychopathy Checklist ◽  
Complete Treatment ◽  
Psychopathy Checklist Revised

BackgroundAssessing those with personality disorder for treatment in secure settings is known to be unsatisfactory.AimTo examine the utility of a standardised assessment of offenders with personality disorder referred for treatment in secure care in a naturalistic study.MethodA consecutive series of 89 men were assessed with a battery of four recommended instruments measuring personality and risk. Decisions on whether or not to admit were based on a multidisciplinary discussion informed by these assessments.ResultsOf the 89 comprehensively assessed referrals, 60 (67%) were offered admission. High scores on the Psychopathy Checklist–Revised (especially on Factor 1) was the only measure that was associated with rejection. Of 44 patients discharged, 29 (66%) failed to complete treatment; none of the pre-admission assessments distinguished ‘completers' from ‘non-completers'. Although skills were acquired on the unit, follow-up of 24 men in the community showed that this had only a marginal effect on re-offending rate (58%).ConclusionsCurrent recommended assessment methods appear unsatisfactory in identifying those who either (a) complete treatment or (b) benefit from treatment. Our results throw doubt on their value.

Psychopathy/Antisocial Personality Disorder Conundrum

2006 ◽  
Vol 40 (6-7) ◽  
pp. 519-528 ◽  
Author(s):  
James R.P. Ogloff
Keyword(s):  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Antisocial Personality Disorder ◽  
Contemporary Literature ◽  
Violence Risk ◽  
Antisocial Personality ◽  
Psychopathy Checklist ◽  
Psychopathy Checklist Revised ◽  
Affective Deficits ◽  
Hare Psychopathy Checklist ◽  
Research Findings

Psychopathy has traditionally been characterised as a disorder primarily of personality (particularly affective deficits) and, to a lesser extent, behaviour. Although often used interchangeably, the diagnostic constructs of psychopathy, antisocial personality disorder, and dissocial personality disorder are distinct. In this article, the relevant historical and contemporary literature concerning psychopathy is briefly reviewed. The diagnostic criteria for psychopathy, antisocial personality disorder, and dissocial personality disorder are compared. Consideration is given to the assessment, prevalence, and implications of psychopathy for violence risk and treatment efficacy. The DSM-IV-TR criteria for antisocial personality disorder, in particular, are largely behaviourally based. The ICD criteria for dissocial personality disorder, while paying more attention to affective deficits, also do not represent the broad personality and behavioural components of psychopathy. Since 1980, a great deal of research on these disorders has been conducted, using the Hare Psychopathy Checklist, Revised (PCL-R). The PCL-R assesses both personality (interpersonal and affective) and behavioural (lifestyle and antisocial) deficits. As such, the research and clinical implications of psychopathy, as operationalised by the PCL-R, cannot be readily extrapolated to the diagnoses of antisocial personality disorder and dissocial personality disorder. As currently construed, the diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder grossly over-identifies people, particularly those with offence histories, as meeting the criteria for the diagnosis. For example, research shows that between 50% and 80% of prisoners meet the criteria for a diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder, yet only approximately 15% of prisoners would be expected to be psychopathic, as assessed by the PCL-R. As such, the characteristics and research findings drawn from the psychopathy research may not be relevant for those with antisocial or dissocial personality disorder.

scholarly journals Prepulse Inhibition in Cocaine Addiction and Dual Pathologies

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 269
Author(s):  
Isis Gil-Miravet ◽  
Alejandro Fuertes-Saiz ◽  
Ana Benito ◽  
Isabel Almodóvar ◽  
Enrique Ochoa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Prepulse Inhibition ◽  
Dual Diagnosis ◽  
Antisocial Personality Disorder ◽  
Cocaine Addiction ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Antisocial Personality ◽  
Related Disorder ◽  
Psychopathy Checklist ◽  
Psychopathy Checklist Revised

Cocaine addiction is frequently associated with different psychiatric disorders, especially schizophrenia and antisocial personality disorder. A small number of studies have used prepulse inhibition (PPI) as a discriminating factor between these disorders. This work evaluated PPI and the phenotype of patients with cocaine-related disorder (CRD) who presented a dual diagnosis of schizophrenia or antisocial personality disorder. A total of 74 men aged 18–60 years were recruited for this research. The sample was divided into four groups: CRD (n = 14), CRD and schizophrenia (n = 21), CRD and antisocial personality disorder (n = 16), and a control group (n = 23). We evaluated the PPI and other possible vulnerability factors in these patients by using different assessment scales. PPI was higher in the CRD group at 30 ms (F(3, 64) = 2.972, p = 0.038). Three discriminant functions were obtained which allowed us to use the overall Hare Psychopathy Checklist Revised score, reward sensitivity, and PPI at 30 ms to predict inclusion of these patients in the different groups with a success rate of 79.7% (42.9% for CRD, 76.2% for CRD and schizophrenia, 100% for CRD and antisocial personality disorder, and 91.3% in the control group). Despite the differences we observed in PPI, this factor is of little use for discriminating between the different diagnostic groups and it acts more as a non-specific endophenotype in certain mental disorders, such as in patients with a dual diagnosis.

Reduced cortical call to arms differentiates psychopathy from antisocial personality disorder

2012 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 825-835 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. E. Drislane ◽  
U. Vaidyanathan ◽  
C. J. Patrick
Keyword(s):  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Antisocial Personality Disorder ◽  
Orienting Response ◽  
Dependent Measure ◽  
Event Related Potential ◽  
Antisocial Personality ◽  
Psychopathy Checklist ◽  
Aversive Events ◽  
Psychopathy Checklist Revised ◽  
Threat Cues

BackgroundPsychopathy and antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) are both characterized by impulsive, externalizing behaviors. Researchers have argued, however, that psychopathy is distinguished from ASPD by the presence of interpersonal–affective features that reflect an underlying deficit in emotional sensitivity. No study to date has tested for differential relations of these disorders with the brain's natural orienting response to sudden aversive events.MethodElectroencephalography was used to assess cortical reactivity to abrupt noise probes presented during the viewing of pleasant, neutral and unpleasant pictures in 140 incarcerated males diagnosed using the Psychopathy Checklist – Revised and DSM-IV criteria for ASPD. The primary dependent measure was the P3 event-related potential response to the noise probes.ResultsPsychopaths showed significantly smaller amplitude of P3 response to noise probes across trials of all types compared with non-psychopaths. Follow-up analyses revealed that this overall reduction was attributable specifically to the affective–interpersonal features of psychopathy. By contrast, no group difference in general amplitude of probe P3 was evident for ASPD versus non-ASPD participants.ConclusionsThe findings demonstrate a reduced cortical orienting response to abrupt aversive stimuli in participants exhibiting features of psychopathy that are distinct from ASPD. The specificity of the observed effect fits with the idea that these distinctive features of psychopathy reflect a deficit in defensive reactivity, or mobilization of the brain's defensive system, in the context of threat cues.

scholarly journals Understanding the structure of the Psychopathy Checklist – Revised

2007 ◽  
Vol 190 (S49) ◽  
pp. s39-s50 ◽  
Author(s):  
David J. Cooke ◽  
Christine Michie ◽  
Jennifer Skeem
Keyword(s):  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Criminal Behaviour ◽  
Psychopathy Checklist ◽  
Core Feature ◽  
Psychopathy Checklist Revised ◽  
Primary Means ◽  
Future Risk ◽  
Selection For ◽  
Severe Personality Disorder ◽  
Psychopathic Disorder

SummaryPsychopathy is the key construct in the Dangerous and Severe Personality Disorder (DSPD) Programme. The Psychopathy Checklist – Revised is used as a primary means of selection for the programme. The Checklist confounds two distinct constructs – personality disorder and criminal behaviour. This confound is important both practically and theoretically. For example, under the criteria for DSPD it is necessary to demonstrate that personality disorder has afunctional link with future risk of criminal behaviour. The confound has been exacerbated recently by claims that criminal behaviour is a core feature of psychopathic disorder. This contention is based on inappropriate analytical methods. In this paper we examine the source of this confound and illustrate how inappropriate methods can mislead.

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