The Psychopathy Checklist Revised

The PCL-R is a tool that enables a distinct group of psychologically abnormal offenders to be measured using a three point rating scale for twenty-two consistent behavioural characteristics. These characteristics have been underlying themes in an ongoing debate between psychiatrists on the definition and existence of psychopaths in discourse. While the literature takes no determinative stance, the psychopath has nonetheless become a distinct group in the binding legislation of the 1913 mental health Act. The PCL-R goes a step further than the act does to identify this group by not only suggesting that the “psychopath” is a statistically relevant group of criminals but Hare takes an objective approach that eliminates any likelihood of mental health practitioners and legal professionals to use this concept as a waste bucket for socially deviant crimes in the future.

The Psychopathy Checklist Revised (PCL-R) measures twenty-two behavioural characteristics or lack thereof that have been previously identified as the defining characteristics of a psychopath by Cleckley as well as other influential clinicians. Hare measures these characteristics on a three point scale ranging from 0-1. In addition Factors are used to group thematically similar behaviors. For instance, persons prone to boredom, whom share a lack of realistic long term plans, live a parasitic lifestyle and act on impulse, have been grouped together in Factor 1. Factor 2 measures those persons with a lack of remorse of guilt, failure to accept responsibility for own actions, a lack of sincerity/conning, egocentricity, glibness/superficial charm, drug or alcohol abuse which is not the direct cause of the antisocial behaviour, and callousness or lack of empathy. Factor 3 co...

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...ed on statistical variance. In today’s scientific world Hare is not wrong to want to establish an empirically significant and testable tool.

Thus, it is the PCL-R’s specificity which makes it such an effective tool. In comparison to the 1913 mental Health Act, the clinician now can receive a much clearer description of the psychopathic condition. A condition we know to exist based on an objective and universally consistent description of Hare’s key behavioural characteristics. The definition of this psychologically diverse group has progressed from unclear to empirically relevant thanks to Hare’s research. The PCL-R is the single most effective tool for diagnosing a psychopathic disorder. With clear, concise and unbiased confidence the PCL-R removes any opportunity for the term psychopath to be used as a waste-bucket for the misunderstood everyday deviant.