This paper reviews existing literature on psychopathy. In particular, the diagnosis of Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD) in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd edition and the 3rd edition revised; DSM-III-R) and Hare's conceptualisation of psychopathy are reviewed. It discusses in detail: (a) the relationship between the DSM-III-R's APD and traditional conceptualisations of psychopathy; (b) a viable alternative to the DSM-III-R's diagnosis of APD (Hare's Psychopathy Checklist and the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised, and their self-report versions, the Self-Report Psychopathy and Self-Report Psychopathy-II scales); and (c) the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th edition) Field Trials and their reconsideration of APD criteria.