When thinking about the concept of “psychopath”, Most people have the image of a murderer come to mind, someone who kills for pleasure and whose actions obey only his own interests, without a trace of empathy and disregarding the needs, feelings and desires of those around him (whom he also uses as objects to achieve his ends). This image seems very clear… but detecting these characteristics is not so easy in real life.
Until relatively recent times, tools have not been developed that can accurately measure this alteration, distinguishing it from mental and medical pathologies. In this sense, one of the main contributions in the detection and evaluation of psychopathic characteristics is that made by Hare, who created the Hare Psychopathy Rating Scale or PCL (Psychopathy Checklist).
To understand Hare’s psychopathy assessment scale, it will first be necessary to establish a definition of what we mean by psychopathy.
The concept of psychopathy refers to a personality disorder in which there is a more or less complete absence of empathy and concern for others and a deep focus on oneself and one’s own needs. It is not considered a clinical entity, that is, It is not a mental disorder. And the definition made of this construct can vary greatly depending on the authors who express it and the type of psychopathy we are talking about (in fact, very different types of psychopaths could be found, with some authors going so far as to propose up to nine. ).
Although the image that most people have of them is the one mentioned in the introduction, the truth is that Not everyone is a criminal or commits crimes: There are psychopaths integrated into society and in fact in many cases they become political leaders (some of whom have gone on to commit major abuses) or big businessmen.
However, There are a series of characteristics common to most psychopaths: the most defining and determining thing is the inability to develop emotional relationships, lack of empathy and indifference towards the feelings of others. In addition to this, the use of others to achieve their goals, the absence of guilt and a sense of responsibility for their own actions, the low intensity of most of their emotions, arrogance and egocentrism, the ability to Seduction and superficial relationships in which the other is not valued and manipulation are usually some of the most common characteristics.
There are also** problems planning or evaluating the future or the consequences of one’s actions**, the need to seek sensations, impulsivity, the discordance between language and behavior and the need for immediate gratifications.
It is important to note that technically psychopathy is not considered a mental disorder. It is a condition of unknown cause but in which strong genetic components have been detected (for example, it is common that in the study of twins it is observed that both have psychopathic traits), although at least half of the variance when it comes to whether or not they suffer from this alteration linked to environmental factors.
Some differences have been observed at the biological and temperamental level that complicate the socialization processes during growth, not integrating the primary socialization experiences in an adaptive way. These are people who are fully aware of their actions presenting no alterations in volitional capacity and in which there is no impairment of basic cognitive functions (beyond the emotional sphere).
PCL: The Hare Psychopathy Rating Scale
The Psychopathy Checklist The PCL or Hare Psychopathy Assessment Scale is one of the most widely used assessment instruments to assess the existence of psychopathy.
Originated and based on the grouping of the factors and criteria previously proposed by Cleckley, it is a scale created by Hare that evaluates through 20 items (although originally there were 22), the main personality traits and characteristics of subjects with psychopathy.
This is a scale that must be filled out based on the information obtained during the semi-structured interview with the subject, the observation and analysis of their behavior, interviews with their environment and knowledge obtained from their file. The interview itself can take around two hours, although it depends on each case. Each item is scored 0, 1, or 2 depending on whether the item in question cannot be applied to the subject (0), can be applied in a certain sense (1), or can be applied to the subject as something consistent in his or her behavior (2). . The maximum score is 40 and the existence of psychopathy is considered those cases that exceed 30 points (although it must be contrasted with interviews with those around them and checking other possible interviews and records referring to the subject. Scores greater than 25 are considered predictors of antisocial and violent behavior.
It is important to keep in mind that this is an instrument created based on the prison population, in clinical and forensic practice. It has been shown to be useful in predicting the probability of recidivism, assessing possible violations of sentence and predicting the performance of antisocial behavior.
What is valued? Scale items
As we have seen, within the PCL (in its revised version) or psychopathy evaluation scale created by Hare, we find a total of 20 items that attempt to assess the existence of different characteristics of psychopathy. Specifically, the following items or elements are evaluated.
1. Superficial charm/loquacity
One of the most common characteristics of psychopaths is their easy manners and superficial attractiveness, often being very seductive. They are considered fun and entertaining, and seem to master many subjects and topics of conversation.
2. Egocentrism and feelings of grandiosity
The psychopath tends to have an overrated view of himself, with great self-confidence and with a self-centered attitude. Furthermore, he tends to see only his own vision of things and focus on his own needs. He may feel admired and envied.
Another common trait of people with psychopathy is the tendency to get bored easily and seek out activities that stimulate them looking for action, competition and opportunities.
4. Pathological lying
Lying and deceiving are frequent elements in the behavior of the psychopath. He can craft easily believable stories and does not usually worry about being discovered. It’s not hard for him to break his promises.
5. Manipulation
Psychopaths generally have a tendency to be manipulative, using their skills and their ability to seduce others to make it easier for them to obtain and achieve their goals, often without worrying about the effects on the manipulated person.
6. Absence of feeling of guilt
An aspect linked to a lack of empathy, the psychopath tends not to feel guilty about what happens around him, as well as the consequences of his actions.
7. Emotional superficiality
Many psychopaths are known for showing a flat emotional spectrum, without showing great reactions and resulting in their emotional expression often shallow and even acted. Yes, they can experience emotions, but they are generally considered to be low intensity and superficial.
8. Lack of empathy
One of the most fundamental characteristics of psychopaths is their lack of empathy. The psychopathic subject is usually unable to put themselves in the shoes of others, or not valuing what others may be feeling or wanting. Coupled with this, they tend to have a high capacity for manipulation; they often use others solely to achieve their ends.
9. Parasitic lifestyle
This criterion assumes that many psychopaths use their family and environment in a utilitarian way to survive without having to make efforts, unless said work provides a motivation that allows them to stand out and be number one.
10. Absence of self-control
People with psychopathic personality may not have deep emotionality, but their immediate behavioral reactions may be extreme. The use of violence can be one of them, briefly and generally without causing a subsequent reaction.
11. Promiscuity
The high level of talkativeness and superficial attractiveness of many psychopaths makes it easy for them to maintain sporadic sexual relations. Likewise, the absence of empathy and responsibility along with sensation seeking make it difficult to maintain more stable relationships.
12. Previous behavioral problems
It is not strange that the psychopathic subject has manifested behavioral problems already in childhood. In this sense It is usually related to conduct disorder being able, for example, to exercise sadistic behavior and torture animals.
13. Long-term planning problems
Another common element in psychopathy is the fact that they tend to focus on the short term and obtaining immediate gratification. They do not usually consider the future (something that also affects the lack of consideration for the consequences of their actions), or they may have some type of goal that they have not considered how to achieve.
14. Impulsiveness
Refers to unpremeditated behavior acting immediately based on the opportunity and one’s own desire without considering alternatives or possible consequences.
15. Irresponsibility
This item refers to the lack of commitment to others. He may have a certain level of loyalty towards his family and close social circle, but he usually does not pay much attention to obligations and duties towards others.
16. Non-acceptance of responsibilities for conduct
Linked to irresponsibility, the subject with psychopathy does not usually take responsibility for his or her own actions. Although he doesn’t feel guilty about them, He usually justifies them and uses different excuses.
17. Brief relationships
The relationships of a person with psychopathy are not usually stable. Although they may have a partner, as we have said before, there is usually no commitment that lasts. They may have a marriage or even children, but they are generally neglected and often engage in infidelities and other activities.
18. Juvenile delinquency
We have mentioned before that since childhood the subject with psychopathy manifests a large number of features of this condition. It is not uncommon for crimes of greater or lesser severity to occur during adolescence that can have different repercussions for oneself or for others, and may lead to serious crimes and even bloody crimes.
19. Revocation of probation
This is an item reserved only for those subjects who have been imprisoned and may have opted for parole.
20. Criminal versatility
This last item tells us about the existence of various types of crime committed by the subject which can range from robberies, drug trafficking, murder, assault, sexual crime, kidnapping or reckless driving, among others.
General aspects to take into account
In the PCL or Hare’s Psychopathy Assessment Scale, as we have seen, the personality and behavior of the people analyzed using it are evaluated in search of psychopathy traits. The items in question can be grouped into different facets for analysis. Specifically, the existence of two main factors is proposed, with four factors to be taken into account within them.
Factor 1: Interpersonal/Affective
This first factor refers mainly to the most internal aspects of the subject, such as his personality, the way he approaches interpersonal relationships, affectivity and cognition. It is related to narcissistic traits. Within it we can find two basic dimensions, the interpersonal and the affective.
Interpersonal dimension
This dimension evaluates the type of relationship that the subject maintains with his environment and how it connects with others. It mainly includes the items of superficial charm, feelings of grandeur, lying, manipulation, lack of feelings of guilt, superficial emotionality, lack of empathy and non-recognition of one’s own responsibility.
affective dimension
This second dimension refers to the management and the experience of emotions by the subject. This would include sensation seeking, lack of self-control and empathy, superficial emotionality, lack of sensitivity and empathy.
Factor 2: Social deviance
This second factor refers mainly to elements that inform us about how the subject relates to the world around him and what his behavior is like in it. It is more linked to factors related to the commission of antisocial behavior. Within this we can find the lifestyle and the antisocial aspect of his personality.
Lifestyle
It refers to the type of life that the subject usually leads on a daily basis. Items such as promiscuity, brief relationships, lack of commitment or criminal versatility are included. They may also include the need for stimulation or the absence of long-term goals sensation seeking and egocentrism.
Antisocial
This section includes the behaviors that the subject has had throughout his life, such as the presence of crimes during his youth, whether he has been imprisoned and whether his parole has been revoked or the lack of responsibility for his own crimes. acts.
