ABSTRACT Psychopathy has interested researchers since its conceptualization by Cleckley in 1941. This interest has come almost exclusively in the form of quantitative inquiries. Quantitative studies have provided valuable insights into the etiology, heterogeneity, and treatment of the disorder. At the same time, rich phenomenological descriptions of psychopathy have a role to play in the field since they can inform the development of variant-specific assessment instruments, as well as the development or tailoring of psychological interventions. Qualitative methods offer distinct advantages, since their flexibility and explorative nature allow the capture of unanticipated, novel, or nuanced psychopathy aspects, which can be overlooked when using pre-set hypotheses and structured measures. In light of these considerations, the present narrative review aims to (a) provide an overview of the state-of-the-art in psychopathy research, by combining insights from both quantitative and qualitative studies and (b) draw attention to the need for a qualitative approach in the field. It dives into conceptualization, etiology, youth psychopathy and temporal stability of psychopathic traits, the distinction between variants (primary versus secondary), and treatment, before reviewing qualitative studies and formulating an argument in favor of exploring the lived experience of psychopathy. The most recent developments in the field are also examined, including the first contemporary theory on secondary psychopathy etiology and the first-ever treatment studies exploring differential outcomes between variants.
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