Assessment of Psychopathy: Inter-correlations between Psychopathy Checklist Revised, Comprehensive Assessment of Psychopathic Personality – Institutional Rating Scale, and Self-Report of Psychopathy Scale–III

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate the inter-correlation between three different instruments for the assessment of psychopathic personality disorder. Eighty male inmates at Bergen prison (Norway) participated in the study. All the participants were assessed for psychopathy using the Psychopathy Checklist Revised (PCL-R; Hare, 1991), the Comprehensive Assessment of Psychopathic Personality – Institutional Rating Scale (CAPP-IRS; Cooke, Hart, & Logan, 2004), and the questionnaire Self-Report of Psychopathy Scale–III (SRP-III; Paulhus, Neumann, & Hare, in press). The correlational analysis revealed significant correlations between all the instruments, but substantial diverges were also found. CAPP-IRS and PCL-R showed high inter-correlations and, hence, seem to tap into the same underlying construct. The CAPP-IRS seems, however to have a higher affect focus in all its domains. Our finding of lower correlation between the SRP-III and the other two clinical tools may suggest a limitation in the instrument to uncover the full range of the psychopathic construct. Especially the interpersonal and affective segments seemed to be missed.