Total Psychopathy Checklist-Revised Research Articles

Psychopathy traits explain variance shared between features of substance use disorders and violence.

There is a substantial research literature on identifying risk and protective factors for violence perpetration. Substance use disorders have long been identified as constituting a significant predictor of violent behaviour. Psychopathy traits have also been similarly recognised, but inter-relationships between psychopathy traits, features of substance use disorders and violence have been little explored. To determine the degree to which shared variance between substance dependence symptoms and violence, as indicated by criminal charges for violent offences, among jailed men can be explained by psychopathy traits. Features of dependence on substances in three drug classes (alcohol, cannabis and cocaine) were assessed in a sample of 682 men in a county jail awaiting trial on criminal charges, many for violent offences. Statistical comparisons of zero-order and partial correlations tested whether accounting for psychopathy total and facet scores, assessed by the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R), affected associations between substance dependence symptoms and violent charges. Total PCL-R scores accounted for a significant proportion of the shared variance between the history of criminal charges for violence offences and lifetime substance dependence symptoms in all three drug classes. At the facet level, controlling for ratings on the interpersonal and modified antisocial facets reduced the association between criminal charges for violent offences and symptoms of cocaine dependence; controlling for ratings on a modified antisocial facetalso attenuated links between alcohol and cannabis dependence symptoms and history of charges for violent offences. These findings build on the sparse literature to date on the role of psychopathy traits on relationships between features of substance use disorders and violence. Given that the observed connection between substance dependence symptoms and charges for violent offences is partly accounted for by individual differences in psychopathy traits, it follows that effective treatment for those traits may be useful, perhaps essential to reducing links between features of some substance use disorders and violent offending.

Between psychopathy and deviant socialization: A close look at the mafia men

The Italian mafia organizations represent a subculture with values, beliefs and goals that are antithetical to and undermining of the predominant society. The conduct of individual members includes such extreme violence for material gain, it may at least superficially suggest a severe personality disorder. Since the first edition of the DSM and into the 21st century, various terms have been used, sometimes interchangeably, but over time inconsistently, to designate the mentality and practices of mafia members. Only recently has the psychology of mafia members become a focus of serious scientific study. Following broader national multicenter research, the present study aimed at investigating the possible differences in psychopathy between those mafia associates who had been convicted only of mafia association (Group A, bosses), and those who were also convicted of violent crimes (Group B, soldiers). The Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) was administered to n = 48 male inmates convicted of mafia association (Mage 45.0 years, SD 10.9, range 20–80 years); Group A consisted of n = 26 (54%) subjects, Group B n = 22 (46%). Most of the sample (73%) did not manifest psychopathy (PCL-R ≥ 25) nor Mann-Whitney U test disclosed significant differences in the total PCL-R scores between the study groups. We found significantly higher scores of PCR-R factor 1 (interpersonal / affective) in the members of the mafia association also convicted of violent crimes (PCL-R F1, group A: 5.8 ± 3.7; group B: 7.9 ± 3.5; p < 0.05), this difference appeared explainable on the basis of a higher component of affective psychopathy. These initial results add to the limited literature on mafia and psychopathy and seem to suggest the existence of a specific component of psychopathy in the subgroup of mafiosi with overtly violent conduct.

Psychopathy subdomains in violent offenders with and without a psychotic disorder

Background Violence in psychosis has been linked to antisocial behavior and psychopathy traits. Psychopathy comprises aspects of interpersonal, affective, lifestyle, and antisocial traits which may be differently involved in violent offending by persons with psychotic disorders. We explored psychopathy subdomains among violent offenders with and without a psychotic disorder. Methods 46 males, with a history of severe violence, with (n = 26; age 35.85 ± 10.34 years) or without (n = 20; age 39.10 ± 11.63 years) a diagnosis of a psychotic disorder, were assessed with the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R). PCL-R was split into subdomains following the four-facet model. Group differences in total and subdomain scores were analyzed with a general linear model with covariates. Results Total PCL-R scores did not differ between the groups (p = 0.61, Cohen’s d = 0.17). The violent offenders without psychotic disorders had higher facet 2 scores than the patient group with psychotic disorders (p = 0.029, Cohen’s d = 0.77). Facet 1, 3, or 4 scores did not differ between the groups. Controlling for age did not alter the results. Conclusion Patients with a psychotic disorder and a history of severe violence have lower affective psychopathy scores than violent offenders without psychotic disorders. This observation may point toward distinct underlying mechanisms for violence and may provide a target for focused treatment and prevention.

The age of violence: Mapping brain age in psychosis and psychopathy

Young chronological age is one of the strongest predictors for antisocial behaviour in the general population and for violent offending in individuals with psychotic disorders. An individual's age can be predicted with high accuracy using neuroimaging and machine-learning. The deviation between predicted and chronological age, i.e., brain age gap (BAG) has been suggested to reflect brain health, likely relating partly to neurodevelopmental and aging-related processes and specific disease mechanisms. Higher BAG has been demonstrated in patients with psychotic disorders. However, little is known about the brain-age in violent offenders with psychosis and the possible associations with psychopathy traits.We estimated brain-age in 782 male individuals using T1-weighted MRI scans. Three machine learning models (random forest, extreme gradient boosting with and without hyper parameter tuning) were first trained and tested on healthy controls (HC, n = 586). The obtained BAGs were compared between HC and age matched violent offenders with psychosis (PSY-V, n = 38), violent offenders without psychosis (NPV, n = 20) and non-violent psychosis patients (PSY-NV, n = 138). We ran additional comparisons between BAG of PSY-V and PSY-NV and associations with Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) total score as a measure of psychosis symptoms. Psychopathy traits in the violence groups were assessed with Psychopathy Checklist-revised (PCL-R) and investigated for associations with BAG.We found significantly higher BAG in PSY-V compared with HC (4.9 years, Cohen'sd = 0.87) and in PSY-NV compared with HC (2.7 years, d = 0.41). Total PCL-R scores were negatively associated with BAG in the violence groups (d = 1.17, p < 0.05). Additionally, there was a positive association between psychosis symptoms and BAG in the psychosis groups (d = 1.12, p < 0.05).While the significant BAG differences related to psychosis and not violence suggest larger BAG for psychosis, the negative associations between BAG and psychopathy suggest a complex interplay with psychopathy traits. This proof-of-concept application of brain age prediction in severe mental disorders with a history of violence and psychopathy traits should be tested and replicated in larger samples.

Impulsive and premeditated aggression in male offenders with antisocial personality disorder.

IntroductionAggression is a clinical symptom of various psychiatric disorders that can be conceptualised as a physical act towards another person with the intent to cause harm. In antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), aggression is a frequent manifestation that differently compromise therapeutic and prognostic goals according to its impulsive or premeditated categorisation. ASPD is characterised by high levels of impulsivity, psychopathic traits, and a high prevalence of co-morbid substance use disorders (SUDs). Aggression in ASPD patients may determine long and recurrent imprisonment thus representing a challenge clinicians and legal experts face.ObjectivesOur aims were to characterise impulsive and premeditated aggression in male ASPD offenders as well as to determine the potential role of SUDs, impulsivity, and psychopathic traits as predictors.Materials and methodsIn this cross-sectional study we evaluated a sample of ASPD offenders with a battery of clinical and psychometric, standardised instruments: the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R), the European Version of the Addiction Severity Index (EuropASI), the Barratt Impulsivity Scale Version 11 (BIS-11), and the Impulsive/Premeditated Aggression Scale (IPAS).ResultsWe used a total sample of 134 offenders, all of whom were male. ASPD patients (n = 96) had a 71.9% prevalence of impulsive aggression and a 28.1% prevalence of premeditated aggression. ASPD patients with impulsive aggression had significantly lower scores of total PCL-R (p<0.01) factor 1 and interpersonal facet 1 (p<0.05), compared with ASPD patients with premeditated aggression. ASPD patients with impulsive aggression and ASPD patients with premeditated aggression had comparable BIS-11 mean scores, and exhibited an equal prevalence of SUDs. The interpersonal facet 1of the PCL-R predicted the aggression type (p<0.05) in ASPD patients, and the exponential beta value for facet 1 was 1.42 (CI = 1.03; 1.95).ConclusionsThe aggression type that is associated with ASPD is mainly impulsive in nature. ASPD patients who have higher scores of psychopathic traits have a lower probability of exhibiting impulsive aggression and a higher probability of exhibiting premeditated aggression. Although ASPD patients have high levels of impulsivity and a high frequency of SUDs, these two variables were not predictors of the aggression type.

Few Differences in the Externalizing and Criminal History of Young Violent Offenders With and Without Autism Spectrum Disorders

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are known to be associated with an increased risk of aggression and challenging behavior. In this study, we have mapped the externalizing history of a nationally representative cohort of young violent offenders with ASD, compared with offenders without ASD. Two hundred and sixty-nine violent offenders were assessed for prevalence of ASD, and participated in a thorough assessment of previous externalizing problems and criminal history. Twenty-six offenders met consensus clinical DSM-IV criteria for ASD and they were compared to offenders without ASD from the same cohort. Overall, we found a very high prevalence of externalizing and antisocial behaviors in the history of these offenders and there were few differences between the groups. Placements in foster homes were overrepresented in the ASD group and the ASD-offenders had significantly more often been diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental disorder (i.e. ASD or ADHD) by a clinician before the study. At index conviction, ASD offenders were overrepresented in sex crimes with a child victim. Though offenders without ASD had more previous convictions, in particular drug crimes, we found no difference in terms of total number of prosecuted crimes. Substance use disorders were more common among offenders without ASD. The ASD offenders scored higher compared to the non-ASD offenders on the Affective facet of the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) but there were no differences in terms of total PCL-R scores. Our results provide important knowledge of the developmental history of offenders with ASD. Though this is a small and atypical phenotype it poses significant challenges to the criminal justice system and we need to understand more of it to be able to prevent these individuals from committing crimes but also to provide a fair judicial treatment, to assess exculpatory factors and improve our forensic treatment models.

Psychopathy and intelligence in high-risk violent women

ABSTRACTThere has been a longstanding debate and mixed evidence on the link between psychopathy and intelligence. Most of the existing research comes from male prisoners, with the literature on female psychopathy and intelligence remaining sparse. Thus, the current study explored the correlational association between psychopathy and intelligence in a sample of high-risk violent female offenders. This is the first study of its kind from the Offender Personality Disorder (OPD) pathway for women in the United Kingdom (UK). The sample includes high-risk violent women presenting with severe personality disorder. In the present study, we conducted a correlational examination between total scores, and the 2-factor and 4-facet structure of the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) with intelligence using the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS). No significant associations were found between total PCL-R scores, or factor 2, and intelligence. Positive associations were found between verbal comprehension and factor 1 and the interpersonal facet. Thus, the results suggest high-risk violent female offenders with interpersonal psychopathic traits demonstrate higher levels of verbal comprehension skills. This finding may help explain why psychopathic female offenders, who can be characterized by deceitful and egocentric behaviours, may be able to successfully charm and con others for their own personal gain.

Examining the interrater reliability of the Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised across a large sample of trained raters.

The goal of the current study was to assess the interrater reliability of the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) among a large sample of trained raters (N = 280). All raters completed PCL-R training at some point between 1989 and 2012 and subsequently provided complete coding for the same 6 practice cases. Overall, 3 major conclusions can be drawn from the results: (a) reliability of individual PCL-R items largely fell below any appropriate standards while the estimates for Total PCL-R scores and factor scores were good (but not excellent); (b) the cases representing individuals with high psychopathy scores showed better reliability than did the cases of individuals in the moderate to low PCL-R score range; and (c) there was a high degree of variability among raters; however, rater specific differences had no consistent effect on scoring the PCL-R. Therefore, despite low reliability estimates for individual items, Total scores and factor scores can be reliably scored among trained raters. We temper these conclusions by noting that scoring standardized videotaped case studies does not allow the rater to interact directly with the offender. Real-world PCL-R assessments typically involve a face-to-face interview and much more extensive collateral information. We offer recommendations for new web-based training procedures. (PsycINFO Database Record

The construct of psychopathy in a Chilean prison population.

To test the four-factor model of the Hare Psychopathy Checklist - Revised (PCL-R) empirical construct of psychopathy in a Chilean prison population by using instruments that supply different types of data. Two hundred and nine male inmates of the Prison of Los Andes, Chile, were evaluated. Confirmatory factor analysis was carried out with the PCL-R and the Self-Report of Psychopathy - III - Short Form (SRP-III-SF). The distributions of total PCL-R and SRP-III-SF scores were normal (Kolmorogov-Smirnov [K-S] = 1.04, p = 0.230; K-S = 0.812, p = 0.525, respectively), with means of 20.9 ± 6.8 for the former and 61.6 ± 15.2 for the latter. Model fit was good for the PCL-R (Tucker Lewis index [TLI] = 0.96; root mean square error of approximation [RMSEA] = 0.04) and for the SRP-SF (TLI = 0.94, RMSEA = 0.04). The results obtained with the PCL-R and the SRP-SF showed adequate fit to the empirical four-factor model of psychopathy and support this model. As foreseeable, fit was better for the PCL-R, which combines several sources of information.

Addiction and Other Psychiatric Disorders in a Population of Portuguese Prisoners.effects in Violent Crime and Addiction Severity.

Objectives Addiction, depression, anxiety and antisocial personality disorder may share common biological mechanisms and changes in impulsivity may contribute to the characterization of different clinical phenotypes. Our aim was to identify diagnostic profiles in a sample of inmates in a Portuguese prison. Methods We examined a sample recruited at Pacos de Ferreira Penitentiary Centre (n=89). Diagnosis was performed using the International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). Six Version of Addiction Severity Index – European version (EuropASI) and the Psychopathy Checklist –Revised (PCL-R) were used to assess the severity of drug addiction and the presence of psychopathy. Results Drug misuse was found in 61.8% of the studied subjects according to MINI. A high prevalence of psychiatric comorbidity was detected, with antisocial personality disorder (70.9%), depression (30.9%), and anxiety (32.7%) being the most common disorders. The total PCL-R score was 24. 1 (SD 8.8), 36 prisoners presented a diagnosis of psychopathy (PCL-R>30). The presence of depression in addicted individuals is associated with a lower severity of dependence (p 30) increases (OR = 3.87, p Conclusions Psychiatric disorders and addiction were successfully evaluated. Depression is associated with a lower addiction severity. The different types of psychiatric diagnoses produce a modulation in the frequency of violent crimes. The prevalence of psychiatric comorbidity underscores the advantages of a structured psychiatric assessment in prison inmates in order to provide the best treatment.

Relating sexual sadism and psychopathy to one another, non‐sexual violence, and sexual crime behaviors

Sexual sadism and psychopathy have been theoretically, clinically, and empirically linked to violence. Although both constructs are linked to predatory violence, few studies have sought to explore the covariation of the two constructs, and even fewer have sought to conceptualize the similarities of violence prediction in each. The current study considered all four Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) facets and employed well-defined, validated measures of sadism to elucidate the relation between sadism and psychopathy, as well as to determine the role of each in the prediction of non-sexual violence and sexual crime behaviors. Study 1 assessed 314 adult, male sex offenders using archival ratings, as well as the self-report Multidimensional Inventory of Development, Sex, and Aggression (the MIDSA). Study 2 used archival ratings to assess 599 adult, male sex offenders. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of crime scene descriptions yielded four sexual crime behavior factors: Violence, Physical Control, Sexual Behavior, and Paraphilic. Sadism and psychopathy covaried, but were not coextensive; sadism correlated with Total PCL-R, Facet 1, and Facet 4 scores. The constructs predicted all non-sexual violence measures, but predicted different sexual crime behavior factors. The PCL-R facets collectively predicted the Violence and Paraphilic factors, whereas sadism only predicted the Violence factor.

Subtypes of aggression in patients with schizophrenia: the role of psychopathy

Psychopathy is strongly related to aggression in community, forensic psychiatric and offender samples, including in patients with schizophrenia. However, most studies have failed to distinguish between impulsive or premeditated aggression. In a cross-sectional study of 108 patients with schizophrenia and comorbid psychopathy, we investigated if psychopathy measured with the total Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) score and the factors described in the two-factor model and the facets described in the four-factor model are associated with type of aggression in schizophrenia and to explore if the three- and four-factor models are associated with premeditated aggression. Results revealed that PCL-R total score, Factor 1 and 2 of the two-factor model and Facets 1–4 of the four-factor model were related to premeditated aggression and that the four-factor model was better related to premeditated aggression than the three-factor model. These findings delineate the role of psychopathy including antisocial features in the understanding of premeditated aggression in schizophrenia.

Intelligence and psychopathy: a correlational study on insane female offenders

The occurrence of a significant relationship between psychopathic traits and intelligence is still open to debate. Most of the relevant information has been obtained from crystallized IQ tests or on psychopathic male offenders. In this study we hypothesized a negative correlation between psychopathic traits and fluid intelligence on a sample of criminal female in-patients. We carried out a correlational study on a selected sample of 56 criminal female offenders. Variables that were measured include the Hare Psychopathy Checklist Revised (PCL-R) total score (and, separately, the scores from its four subscales: Interpersonal, Affective, Lifestyle and Antisocial) and fluid IQ measured by Raven's Progressive Matrices (RPM). Pearson's correlation between RPM IQ and total PCL-R score was negative (r(54) = -0.55, p < 0.001); women with greater psychopathy traits (total PCL-R score) had lower IQ scores. Negative correlations were also found between IQ and the four PCL-R subscales, Interpersonal, Affective, Lifestyle and Antisocial (r(54) = -0.35, p < 0.01, r(54) = -0.52, p < 0.001, r(54) = -0.53, p < 0.001, and r(54) = -0.49, p < 0.001 respectively). The results indicate a general negative relationship between PCL-R and IQ, equally distributed across the four subcomponents of the psychopathic trait, and support the view that unsuccessful psychopathic women have poor planning and are unable to foresee and represent future consequences of their actions.

Intrinsic limbic and paralimbic networks are associated with criminal psychopathy

Psychopathy is a personality disorder associated with impairments in decision-making, empathy, and impulsivity. Recent brain imaging studies suggest that psychopathy is associated with abnormalities in limbic/paralimbic brain regions. To date, no studies have examined functional brain connectivity measures using independent component analyses (ICA) in adults with psychopathy. Here, we test hypotheses regarding paralimbic connectivity in adult incarcerated individuals stratified by psychopathy scores. One hundred and two prison inmates were rated using the Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R). FMRI data were collected while subjects performed an auditory target detection "oddball" task. FMRI data were analyzed using group ICA to identify functional networks responding to the oddball task correlating with psychopathy scores. Components demonstrating significant correlations with psychopathy included a default mode network, a frontoparietal component, and a visual/posterior cingulate component. Modulation trends correlated strongly with factor 2 (impulsivity) and total PCL-R scores in the frontoparietal and visual/posterior cingulate networks, and with factor 1 (affective) scores within the default mode network. The posterior cingulate region factored significantly in the modulation trends observed. Consistent with the hypothesis of limbic/paralimbic abnormalities associated with psychopathy, modulation trends correlated strongly with PCL-R scores. There is strong evidence to implicate the posterior cingulate in aberrant functional connectivity associated with the manifestation of psychopathic symptoms. Future investigations comparing functional trends associated with the posterior cingulate in psychopathic subjects may provide further insight into the manifestation of this disorder.

Temperament and character as a function of psychopathy: relationships between the Psychopathy Checklist – Revised and the Temperament and Character Inventory in a sample of personality disordered serious or repeat offenders

The relationship between the concepts of Psychopathy (as conceptualised by a four-facet model of the Psychopathy Checklist – PCL-R; Hare, R.D. (2003). The Hare Psychopathy Checklist – Revised (PCL-R) (2nd ed.). Toronto: Multi-Health Systems) and the biopsychosocial model of normal personality (the Temperament and Character Inventory, – TCI; Cloninger, C.R., Przybeck, T.R., Svrakic, D.M., & Wetzel, R.D. (1994). The temperament and character inventory (TCI): A guide to its development and use. Washington University, St Louis, MI: Centre for Psychobiology of Personality) was explored in a sample (N = 121) of personality disordered, serious and repeat offenders. High total PCL-R scores were associated with high Novelty Seeking and low Harm Avoidance alongside the characteristic of low cooperativeness. At a facet level, Facet 1 (Interpersonal) was associated with low Harm Avoidance, Facet 2 (Affective) with low Reward Dependence and Facets 3 (Lifestyle) and 4 (Antisocial), with both high Novelty Seeking and low Co-operativeness. The results show that the different facets of psychopathy are related to different personality constructs as defined by the biopsychosocial model, which in turn may suggest different treatment and management regimes.

Psychopathy and gender differences in childhood psychosocial characteristics in homicide offenders – a nationwide register-based study

Research on childhood psychosocial characteristics with regard to psychopathy in homicide offenders is lacking. The current study focused on gender differences in the association of childhood victimisation, adverse family factors and parental characteristics, and psychopathy. Forensic psychiatric examination reports of all female offenders (n = 102), subjected to forensic examination and convicted of homicide in 1993–2005 and corresponding male offenders (n = 463) in 1995–2004 were retrospectively analysed and assessed for childhood psychosocial characteristics and psychopathy using The Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R). The findings indicated that adverse childhood psychosocial characteristics increase the risk of psychopathy in both female and male homicide offenders. Although significant gender differences in relation to the total PCL-R scores were found only in childhood sexual abuse, differences emerged in the four factors. In conclusion, traumatic experiences are related to psychopathy in both female and male offenders and the association may, contrary to prior research, be even stronger in female than in male homicide offenders.

Patterns of attachment and alcohol abuse in sexual and violent non-sexual offenders

Two studies related to substance abuse and sexual offending were conducted. In the first study, a sample of 94 sexual offenders and 21 violent non-sexual offenders, incarcerated within the Ontario Region of Correctional Service of Canada (CSC), were administered the Michigan Alcohol Screening Test (MAST), the Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST) and the Relationship Styles Questionnaire (RSQ). The Hare Psychopathy Checklist–Revised (PCL-R) was also scored for the majority of offenders included in the present study. Results indicated that the groups differed on PCL-R score, with both rapists and violent non-sexual offenders scoring significantly higher than the child molesters with reference to total PCL-R score. Sex offenders’ mean score on the MAST were significantly higher than those of the violent non-sexual offenders. The mean score on the MAST for sex offenders was in the problem drinking range. With reference to attachment pattern, sex offenders were found to be more preoccupied than violent non-sexual comparison subjects. In the second study, a sample of sexual offenders, all of whom exhibited elevated levels of alcohol abuse as measured by the MAST, were divided into two groups based on whether or not they had completed a substance abuse treatment programme. Sexual offenders (all of whom received sex offender-specific treatment) who also received substance abuse treatment evidenced significantly lower levels of general recidivism than those who did not complete such treatment. Results are discussed in light of previous findings in relation to differing patterns of substance abuse between sexual and violent non-sexual offenders observed in the literature as well as with reference to Marshall's attachment theory.

Use of the PCL-R and PAI to predict release outcome in inmates undergoing forensic evaluation

A group of 91 inmates previously administered the Psychopathy Checklist – Revised (PCL-R) and Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) and released from custody were followed to determine whether the total, Factor 1, and Factor 2 scores of the PCL-R and the antisocial features and aggression scales of the PAI predicted release outcome. Whereas all but Factor 1 of the PCL-R correlated with a dichotomous measure of subsequent arrest, only the PCL-R Factor 2 score and PAI antisocial and aggression scales successfully predicted recidivism after age, education, race, and prior arrests were controlled for in a two-step logistic regression analysis. Further investigation confirmed the incremental validity of the two PAI scales and the PCL-R Factor 2 score relative to the PCL-R total score and PCL-R Factor 1 score, respectively. The practical and theoretical implications of these results are discussed.

The childhood-onset neuropsychiatric background to adulthood psychopathic traits and personality disorders

Childhood conduct disorder (CD) and adult psychopathic traits according to the Psychopathy Checklist Revised (PCL-R) were the closest psychiatric covariates to repeated violent crimes and aggression among offenders under forensic psychiatric investigation in Sweden. As psychopathy is not included in the present psychiatric diagnostic systems, we compared total and factor PCL-R scores to Axis I disorders, including childhood-onset neuropsychiatric disorders, and to Axis II personality disorders, to establish the convergence of psychopathic traits with other psychiatric diagnoses, and to identify possible unique features. Psychopathic traits were positively correlated with bipolar mood disorder and negatively with unipolar depression. The total PCL-R scores as well as the Factor 2 (unemotionality) and Factor 3 (behavioral dyscontrol) scores were significantly correlated with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, Asperger's syndrome/high-functioning autistic traits, CD, substance abuse, and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition Cluster B personality disorders. The interpersonal Factor 1 showed none of these correlations and may capture features that are specific to psychopathy, distinguishing core psychopathy from other diagnostic definitions.

The 2-Year Test-Retest Reliability of the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised in Methadone Patients

The 2-year test-retest reliability of the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) was examined in 200 men and 25 women methadone patients. Stability of the PCL-R was generally good whether it was evaluated as a dichotomous or dimensional measure. Utilizing a diagnostic cutoff score of 25 or more the intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were.48 for men and.67 for women. For the Total PCL-R score ICCs were.60 and.65 for men and women, respectively. Factor 1 was more reliably measured in women compared to men (.63 vs.43). For men, Factor 1 was significantly less reliable than Factor 2 or the Total score. For women, Factor 2 was significantly less reliable than the Total PCL-R score or Factor 1.