Psychopathy Overview and Assessment

Questions and Answers

Psychopathy is a defined by a collection of , & characteristics.

personality disorder, interpersonal, affective, behavioural

What are individuals with psychopathy often called?

intraspecies predators

What is the most popular assessment method of assessing psychopathy in adults?

Hare's Psychopathy Checklist-Revised

The Hare's Psychopathy Checklist Revised is a _-item scale with a ________ interview.

20, semi-structured Signup and view all the answers

Scores on the Hare's Psychopathy Checklist Revised range from to .

0, 40 Signup and view all the answers

Factor 1 of the Hare's Psychopathy Checklist focuses on traits, while Factor 2 emphasizes traits.

interpersonal, affective, unstable and socially deviant Signup and view all the answers

What are the three factors some researchers argue for in a 3-factor model of psychopathy?

Impulsive and irresponsible behaviour style Signup and view all the answers

Self-report measures can assess & that cannot be easily observed.

attitudes, emotions Signup and view all the answers

What does inter-rater reliability measure?

The similarity of scores between different test scorers Signup and view all the answers

Self-report measures face challenges since psychopaths often _, , and ______.

lie, manipulate, malinger Signup and view all the answers

What are two of the most common self-report scales for psychopaths?

Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised, Self Report Psychopathy Scale Signup and view all the answers

What is the Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised?

A self-report measure of psychopathic traits; 154 item inventory Signup and view all the answers

What is the Self Report Psychopathy Scale?

A self-report measure of psychopathic traits; 64 item self report measure Signup and view all the answers

Psychopathic traits are said to be __________, meaning that people vary on the number and severity of psychopathic features exhibited.

dimensional Signup and view all the answers

Students who scored _ on the Self-Report Psychopathy Scale were more likely to ___ the experimenter.

higher, defraud Signup and view all the answers

Students with higher SRP scores were better at identifying ____________ in a study.

vulnerable victims Signup and view all the answers

Students with higher SRP scores were more likely to ______ on an exam.

cheat Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes Antisocial Personality Disorder?

A history of behavior in which the rights of others are violated Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Personality Disorder

Psychopathy is a personality disorder defined by interpersonal, affective, and behavioral characteristics.
Key traits include manipulation, lack of remorse or empathy, impulsivity, and antisocial behaviors.
Psychopaths are often seen as lacking a conscience, preying on others to fulfill their own selfish needs.

Hare's Psychopathy Checklist-Revised

Developed by Robert Hare, it's the most widely used assessment for psychopathy in adults.
Comprises a 20-item scale based on a semi-structured interview and file review.

Scoring and Factors

Scores range from 0 to 40, with 30 or higher indicating psychopathy.
Psychopathy is currently conceptualized as a two-factor model:
- Factor 1: Interpersonal and affective traits
- Factor 2: Unstable and socially deviant traits
Factor 1 is linked to predatory violence and emotional processing deficits, while Factor 2 relates to unstable behaviors.

Three Factor Model

A proposed three-factor model includes:
- Arrogant and deceitful interpersonal style
- Deficient affective experience
- Impulsive and irresponsible behavior style

Self-Report Measures: Advantages

Can assess attitudes and emotions not easily observable.
Simple to administer and cost-effective.
May detect faking or manipulation on both sides of behavior.

Self-Report Measures: Challenges

Psychopaths can lie, manipulate, and misrepresent themselves due to masterful deception.
Lack sufficient insight into their own traits and may not recognize their behaviors.
Difficulty in reporting genuine emotions can lead to inaccuracies in self-assessment.

Common Self-Report Scales for Psychopaths

Two prevalent self-report measures are:
- Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised: A 154-item inventory for psychopathic traits in offenders and community samples.
- Self Report Psychopathy Scale: A 64-item measure designed for community samples.

Dimensional Nature of Psychopathy

Psychopathic traits are dimensional, indicating varying degrees of severity and number of traits among individuals.

Subclinical Psychopaths

Students with higher scores on the Self-Report Psychopathy Scale (SRP) have been linked to:
- Increased likelihood of defrauding experimenters.
- Better identification of vulnerable victims in test scenarios.
- Higher incidences of cheating behaviors in assessments.
Ownership of "vicious" dogs correlates with increased primary psychopathy scores without a rise in tolerance toward animal abuse.

Antisocial Personality Disorder

Characterized by a persistent pattern of behavior violating others' rights, beginning in childhood or adolescence.
Defined as a pervasive disregard for and violation of the rights of others.

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Description

Explore the defining characteristics of psychopathy and learn about Robert Hare's Psychopathy Checklist-Revised. This quiz covers key traits, scoring factors, and models used to understand this complex personality disorder. Test your knowledge about psychopathy's implications in behavior and assessment.