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The Role of the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) in Violence Risk and Threat Assessment
Abstract
The past decade has witnessed a growing interest in risk assessment. Reliable and valid instruments, such as the Revised Hare Psychopathy Checklist (PCL-R; Hare, 1991), form one essential component of this evaluation. They allow clinicians to anchor opinions in actuarially-based nomothetic data. In this article we provide the reader with a context for evaluating the role of the PCL-R in risk assessment. Specifically, we offer suggestions related to the use of PCL-R scores within a clinical/forensic context. Borrowed from essays on public health policy, we apply the concept of harm reduction to risk assessment and a select case example.
... Gacono, Loving, and Bodholdt (2001) provide an alternate format for reviewing the Rorschach's status, improving Rorschach research, and addressing biased criticisms. Rather than encouraging pseudodebates that do little to contribute to assessment improvements, Gacono et al. (2001) offer guidelines for evaluating Rorschach research related to Antisocial Personality and Psychopathy, and recommend that other experts do the same in their conceptual areas. They provided five areas of conceptual understanding that are essential to responsible criticisms of the psychopathy/ Rorschach literature: 1. Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD; American Psychiatric Association, 1994) and Psychopathy are related but distinct constructs, differing from each other along important historical, theoretical, and definitional lines. ...
... In addition to outlining five key conceptual issues, Gacono et al. (2001) ...
... These unscientific and prejudiced attacks on the Rorschach obfuscate forensic issues and mislead jurists and practitioners. Most useful to the forensic psychologist would be additional Rorschach articles that, following the lead of Gacono et al. (2001), offer conceptual and methodological guidelines for evaluating other relevant bodies of literature central to Rorschach usage. ...
The Rorschach is one of the most widely used, openly accepted, and frequently requested tests in forensic psychology practice (Piotrowski, 1996; Meloy, 1991; Weiner, Exner, & Sciara, 1996). Well-trained psychologists with a sophisticated understanding of the individual, psychological constructs, base rates, and conditional probabilities, derive information from the Rorschach beyond what is available from diagnosis, self-report, and interview. The Rorschach helps us describe the complex interaction among psychological, biological, environmental and behavioral domains (Viglione & Perry, 1991). Despite its favorable status in both clinical and forensic settings and a substantial body of literature attesting to its reliability and validity (Weiner, 1996), the Rorschach has been targeted for attack by a small group of “academic” psychologists. Rather than science, the rhetoric and tactics of these detractors has been likened to “advocacy” or politics (Weiner, 2001, p. 7). This bias against the Rorschach is not new. It has existed since the 1920s among American academic psychology departments, despite the research in support of the Rorschach. As a result of this attack, biased articles find their way into publication and eventually into the courtroom. While they do little to promote scientific study (Meyer, 2000) and provide little useful information to the trier of fact, they do present another avenue for challenge when opposing attorneys search for weaknesses in psychological testimony. Forensic psychologists need to prepare for this additional challenge. In this article we summarize some key issues that can aid in defending the Rorschach.
... Viewing the two as synonymous detracts from psychologists' unique contributions to assessment based upon their knowledge, training, and experience. Further, by conflating assessment with the relatively more simplistic process of testing, this misunderstanding encourages a de-emphasis of well-balanced and in-depth clinical training in graduate psychology programs (Gacono, 2002a(Gacono, , 2002bGacono & Bodholdt, 2001;Gacono, Loving, & Bodholdt, 2001a). Distinguishing testing from assessment: ...
... Probabilities and other correlations determined from actuarially derived methods require a consideration of their clinical application. The following case example (previously reported in Gacono & Bodholdt, 2001) illustrates the use of historical, dispositional, clinical, and contextual factors in evaluating risk in a previously violent and potentially dangerous individual. ...
In the present chapter, we discuss the role of the Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) and Rorschach in forensic psychological assessment. We stress the importance of using a multi-method over a mono-method assessment approach and advocate for the incremental validity of psychological testing over interviews alone as an essential aspect of assessment practice. The ability to integrate the nomothetic strengths of the PCL-R with the idiographic potential of the Rorschach allows for conclusions to be refined into nuanced person-context interactions most useful in areas such as risk assessment, forming diagnostic impressions, and determining treatability. A case example involving an incarcerated antisocial male with a history of exclusively affective violence is presented.
... The ASPD criteria, when conceptualized as an ordinal scale, correlates with severity of psychopathy as measured by the PCL-R (Hare, 2003). Although the PCL-R alone suffices to determine the presence or absence of psychopathy, assessment generally involves more than arriving at a simple label (Gacono, Nieberding et al., 2001). ...
... ) add to our clinical understanding of the ASPD diagnosed or psychopathic individual. While these instruments were not specifically designed to ''diagnose'' psychopathy, and not surprisingly fail to do so (Gacono, Nieberding et al., 2001), neither do the Psychopathy Checklist-Screening Version (PCL:SV; Hart, Cox, & Hare, 1995) nor the newer experimental self-report measures of psychopathy (Hare, 1991; Lilienfeld & Andrews, 1996). ...
The assessment of antisocial and psychopathic personalities presents special challenges for the forensic evaluator. This chapter emphasizes use of the Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R), Rorschach, and Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) for a comprehensive evaluation of these patients. These measures lend incremental validity to understanding these difficult patients, especially when combined with testing of intelligence and cognitive functioning. Integrating data from multiple domains is essential to answering the psycholegal and forensic treatment questions surrounding the antisocial and psychopathic patient. The forensically trained clinical psychologist is best suited to assess psychopathy, a task that historically has been overlooked or avoided in traditional mental health settings.
... Psychopathy has been identified as an essential component for making determinations as to the risk of future violence and/or re-offending (Gacono & Bodholdt, 2001, 2002; Hart, 1998). High levels of psychopathy predict elevated risk of re-offending and/or violence, although low levels do not immediately imply low risk. ...
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (1997) requires identification of emotional disturbance by special education criteria. It also requires that emotional disturbance be distinguished from social maladjustment. In some cases, a thorough evaluation of the child's character pathology can aid in this determination. While methods such as the Rorschach, BASC, and MMPI-A are useful in understanding behavior and personality, psychopathy assessment may be particularly useful for organizing opinions in this matter. In this article we discuss the relevance of psychopathy's two-factor structure in formulating a schema for making the differentiation between emotional disturbance and social maladjustment and review methods for gathering information about this troublesome aspect of character pathology. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 41: 849–860, 2004.
... T he concept of psychopathy is important to researchers, clinicians, decision makers, and offenders who work or are confined in the criminal justice system. Researchers are concerned with psychopathy as it relates to the prediction of institutional misconduct or community recidivism (Gacono & Bodholdt, 2001;Hare, 1996Hare, , 1999aHart, 1998;Hemphill, Hare, & Wong, 1998;Salekin, Rogers, & Sewell, 1996;Walters, 2003). Clinicians use the concept for screening, assessment, and treatment planning (Bodholdt, Richards, & Gacono, 2000;Gacono, 2000;Gacono, Loving, Evans, & Jumes, 2002;Hare, 1996;Loving, 2002), and they may be called upon for expert testimony regarding its usefulness in clinical settings (Gacono & Hutton, 1994;Gacono et al., 2002;Shipley & Arrigo, 2001;Zinger & Forth, 1998). ...
This article extends the debate over personality disorders as dimensional or taxonic phenomena to the study of psychopathy and relates this issue to questions surrounding whether behaviors or personality traits best represent psychopathy. Proponents of dimensional measurements of psychopathy consider personality traits to be important constructs of psychopathy, whereas proponents of taxometric measurements consider behaviors to be important characteristics of psychopathy. After a brief introduction to the measurement of psychopathy, taxometric and dimensional measurement techniques are explained, their assumptions addressed, and their strengths and weaknesses discussed. Empirical evidence for each technique is then critiqued, and methodological problems are described. It is argued that methodological problems of existing studies largely preclude conclusions regarding whether psychopathy is dimensional or taxonic. Suggestions for future research are provided to address some of these methodological limitations. This review informs readers about each measurement approach and identifies problems regarding the dimensional or taxonic measurement of psychopathy.
Psychopathy is an essential construct for research and applied usage (Gacono, 2016). The Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R; Hare, 2003) is the only valid method for assessing the Cleckley psychopath. In this chapter, we discuss theoretical and empirical roots of psychopathy and provide clinical and forensic guidelines for use of the PCL-R. We rely on our extensive PCL-R research and clinical experience in discussing gender differences among psychopaths. Although males show a malignant narcissistic style, the female variant is characterized by a malevolent type of hysteria (Cunliffe & Gacono, 2005, 2008; Gacono & Meloy, 1994; Smith, Gacono, & Cunliffe, 2018). Gender differences are highlighted and guidelines for the assessment of psychopathic and nonpsychopathic female offenders are provided.
Historically, the cornerstone of the psychologist’s identity rested on providing competent in-depth psychological assessment (Rapaport, Gill, & Schafer, 1946). The ability to utilize a battery of assessment methods to elucidate complex issues makes the psychologist unique among other mental health professionals. Recent trends, however, have tarnished that cornerstone. Not surprisingly, the movement away from proficiency in psychological assessment has led to a decline in the need for psychologists. In this chapter, we discuss these harmful trends, define psychological assessment, offer a model for assessing female offenders, and provide examples of how record review, clinical interview, the Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R), Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI), and Rorschach Inkblot test can be useful with female offenders. We discuss the interpersonal aspects of the assessment process, evaluate gender specific patterns for several PCL-R criteria (also see Appendices A & B), and provide caveats for assessing female offenders. We conclude with a case study.
Forensic psychiatric patients exhibit complex clinical issues that are neither readily understood by staff nor necessarily responsive to traditional psychotherapy or treatment milieu approaches. Individualized treatment planning identifies treatment needs and matches them to treatment services, thereby increasing the opportunity for a positive therapeutic out-come. The nature of the Rorschach, particularly that it bypasses volitional resources, enables observation and quantification of personality processes, making the Rorschach uniquely suited for treatment planning in forensic settings. In this article, the authors review relevant Rorschach literature, address the importance of incorporating Rorschach data into the assessment process, and discuss how Rorschach data fit into a thorough assessment that includes historical, clinical, dispositional, and contextual information. The authors offer two case examples to illustrate how Rorschach data are integrated in forensic treatment planning.
The rationale for this article is to comprehensively outline and describe the strengths and weaknesses of various risk assessment instrtimentsltools relevant to the evaluation of sexually violent and violent offenders. The author will briefly discuss ethical obligations the forensic mental health professional (FMHP) must consider when conducting risk assessments.
The past several years have witnessed an increase in psychological journals offering “pseudo-debates” concerning the relevance of various assessment methods or psychological tests to clinical and forensic practice (Gacono, Loving, & Bodholdt, 2001; Meyer, 1999, 2000; Weiner, 2001). Dedicated researchers and practitioners have produced enormous bodies of validating research, as well as a wealth of clinical/forensic experience concerning the inestimable value of these instruments in delivering mental health services as diagnostic consultants (Meyer, 2000; Wiener, 2001). Persistent detractors have seldom demonstrated the same level of scientific rigor, that is, weighing all available evidence, discriminating between compelling and questionable research findings, and drawing conclusions on the basis of a balanced and open-minded determination of where the facts lie (Wiener, 2001). Regardless of their merit, these articles eventually find their way into the court room and provide another source of distraction in an already difficult work arena. Forensic psychologists must be prepared for challenges to their assessment methods. With this in mind, this article introduces a series of articles that provide guidelines for the forensic use of the PCL-R, Rorschach, MMPI-2, MCMI-III, and PAI.
En nuestro país, considerando la falta de objetividad y las dificultades existentes en la actualidad en torno a la evaluación del grado de peligrosidad y la presencia de rasgos psicopáticos en los reclusos, se consideró necesaria la adaptación de un instrumento que posibilitara unificar criterios para el diagnóstico de este tipo de personalidades. Frente a dicha problemática, el presente estudio estuvo orientado a adaptar la Escala de Calificación de la Psicopatía Revisada (PCL-R) creada por Robert D. Hare, la cual permite evaluar con alta confiabilidad diagnóstica y pronóstica la psicopatía. Para este propósito, se sometió la versión española del cuestionario del PCL-R al criterio de jueces expertos, de modo de obtener una versión chilena. Esta fue administrada, primero, en una Aplicación Piloto, para verificar que las modificaciones propuestas por los jueces fueran comprensibles para los sujetos en estudio, que previamente se habían separado en dos grupos –los que presentaban rasgos psicopáticos y los que no– en función de evaluaciones realizadas por los profesionales del Área Técnica del C.D.P. San Miguel. Posteriormente, se realizó la Aplicación Experimental, a partir de la cual se llevó a cabo un análisis estadístico de los hallazgos, que permitió obtener evidencias de validez y confiabilidad del instrumento. También, en la muestra estudiada fue posible establecer relaciones entre la psicopatía y la Reincidencia Legal, por un lado, y los Tipos de Delito, por el otro.
The 1960s decrease in long-term residential mental health care resulted in former psychiatric patients being admitted to correctional and forensic psychiatric facilities. Although psychologists face challenges in managing and treating this displaced population, assessment data plays a pivotal role in the determination of appropriate aftercare for the mentally ill parolee. This article discusses the assessment protocol utilized by the Forensic Conditional Release Program (CONREP) in California, summarizes data from these patients, and uses case excerpts to illustrate the potential value of assessment with a forensic psychiatric (outpatient) population. Special emphasis is given to the use of the MMPI-2 and Rorschach.
The Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III (MCMI-III) is well suited for use in corrections settings. The MCMI-III's scales correlate with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) personality disorders (frequently found in correctional settings), and the publisher offers a corrections-specific interpretive package. To further elucidate the usefulness of the MCMI-III with offenders and assess its efficacy, the authors administered the test to more than 10,000 inmates of the Colorado Department of Corrections. Scale scores were compared to intake judgment and outcome variables across mental health, substance abuse, and violence variables. A number of scales were found to predict several mental health variables such as subsequent diagnosis, medication prescription, and therapy time. Substance abuse scale elevations corresponded to subsequent intake recommendations. Although more modest, the aggressive personality disorder scales and several of the neurotic scales correlated with future institutional violence. The authors discuss the relevance of these findings to screening, triage, and correctional assessment.
Forensic psychiatric patients exhibit complex clinical issues that are neither readily understood by staff nor necessarily responsive to traditional psychotherapy or treatment milieu approaches. Individualized treatment planning identifies treatment needs and matches them to treatment services, thereby increasing the opportunity for a positive therapeutic outcome. The nature of the Rorschach, particularly that it bypasses volitional resources, enables observation and quantification of personality processes, making the Rorschach uniquely suited for treatment planning in forensic settings. In this article, the authors review relevant Rorschach literature, address the importance of incorporating Rorschach data into the assessment process, and discuss how Rorschach data fit into a thorough assessment that includes historical, clinical, dispositional, and contextual information. The authors offer two case examples to illustrate how Rorschach data are integrated in forensic treatment planning.
Psychologists have debated the clinical utility of the Rorschach for many years. In an effort to bring greater clarity to the relevant issues, a Special Series was organized for this journal. With the exception of a neutral, meta-analytic review, articles for the Special Series were solicited from scholars known to have opposing views on the Rorschach. The authors agreed to engage in a structured, sequential, and scientifically grounded dialog that focused on strengths and limitations when using the Rorschach in applied clinical settings. The debate takes place over the course of three iterations, with later articles building on and reacting to those generated earlier. This Introduction provides a rationale and overview for the full Special Series. In addition, it briefly describes the five Special Section articles published in this issue of Psychological Assessment. Five additional articles are expected to be published in an upcoming Special Section. In combination, these two Special Sections should provide clinicians, researchers, educators, and students with the most thorough, empirically rigorous, and up-to-date evaluation of the Rorschach’s clinical utility.
A first-stage evaluation of a treatment programme for personality disordered offenders conducted in a high-security setting is reported. Drawing on the literature, the treatment programme was designed to modify a range of clinical targets. The marked lack of standardized measures made finegrained evaluation impossible to achieve. A methodology was therefore employed that was based on global change over an amalgam of outcome measures. Analysis revealed significant clinical gains as assessed by the global change measure. Level of global change did not correlate significantly with age, IQ, time in institutions, or time at risk. However, scores on the Psychopathy Checklist Revised (PCL-R) showed a significant negative correlation with global change. Further, analysis showed that this negative relationship was due to scores on PCL-R factor 1 (interpersonal style) not factor 2 (unstable lifestyle). The findings with regard to PCL-R scores both are consistent with the literature and show the importance of considering the factor structure of that instrument. It is concluded that this preliminary study has shown that positive clinical gains can be made in secure settings with a traditionally difficult patient group.
The MMPI can be scored by a clerk. Also, both the number and form level of Rorschach responses can be easily assessed. Other Rorschach variables should be examined for their incremental validity beyond number of responses and form level, or from these variables plus simple MMPI variables. This study applied multiple regression analyses to 2 data sets with reasonable criteria of pathology that were predicted by W. Perry and D. J. Viglione's (see record
1991-26233-001) Ego Impairment Index considered alone. The index had only slight incremental validity over and above the number of responses and form quality, and even less when the average MMPI elevation and L. R. Goldberg's (see record
2011-19214-001) formula for predicting psychosis versus neurosis were entered before these Rorschach variables. Another way of assessing incremental validity is through the use of unit weights, that is, adding standardized variables weighted equally rather than optimally. The unit-weighted incremental validity analysis resulted in the same conclusions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Philosophers "can fulfill a useful auxiliary role… in collaborating with productive scientists… as critics and catalysts." Theories "so conceived as to be irrefutable by any sort of evidence" constitute a methodological embarrassment for psychology. "The quest for certainty, the craving for infallibility, has produced the embarrassments of emptiness and circularity." The "most painful philosophical embarrassment of psychology" is "the definition of its very subject matter… . The embarrassment of unanswerable questions can be avoided if we do not introduce absolutely unconfirmable entities into our theories." In theory construction psychology's embarrassment is a methodological one. "The time has come to emancipate ourselves from the radical empiricism of the operationists and the behaviorists. A more liberal view of the nature of scientific theory will help us more adequately and clearly to assign to psychology its proper place in the uniting sciences and to remove many of the philosophical embarrassments that have stood in the way of scientific progress." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Psychopaths present serious problems for the criminal justice system because they are responsible for many serious crimes
and appear to be very resistant to treatment. The present study was a retrospective evaluation of the efficacy of a maximum
security therapeutic community program in reducing recidivism among mentally disordered offenders, some of whom were psychopaths.
The study employed a matched group, quasiexperimental design. The results showed that, compared to no program (in most cases
prison), treatment was associated with lower recidivism (especially violent recidivism) for nonpsychopaths and higher violent
recidivism for psychopaths. The clinical and research utility of Hare's Psychopathy Checklist was strongly supported.
Citation: Monahan, J., Steadman, H., Silver, E., Appelbaum, P., Robbins, P., Mulvey, E., Roth, L., Grisso, T., & Banks, S. (2001). Rethinking risk assessment: The MacArthur study of mental disorder and violence. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195138821, 9780195138825.
Winner of the American Psychiatric Association's Manfred S. Guttmacher Award, 2002.
Publisher summary: The presumed link between mental disorder and violence has been the driving force behind mental health law and policy for centuries. Legislatures, courts, and the public have come to expect that mental health professionals will protect them from violent acts by persons with mental disorders. Yet for three decades research has shown that clinicians' unaided assessments of "dangerousness" are barely better than chance. Rethinking Risk Assessment: The MacArthur Study of Mental Disorder and Violence tells the story of a pioneering investigation that challenges preconceptions about the frequency and nature of violence among persons with mental disorders, and suggests an innovative approach to predicting its occurrence. The authors of this massive project -- the largest ever undertaken on the topic -- demonstrate how clinicians can use a "decision tree" to identify groups of patients at very low and very high risk for violence. This dramatic new finding, and its implications for the every day clinical practice of risk assessment and risk management, is thoroughly described in this remarkable and long-anticipated volume. Taken to heart, its message will change the way clinicians, judges, and others who must deal with persons who are mentally ill and may be violent will do their work.
Preview available via Google Books.
In this article we present the reader with an understandable essay on the relation between the Rorschach and psychopathy. Some degree of sophistication and applied knowledge of the Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (Hare, 1991) and the Rorschach (Rorschach, 1921/1942) are necessary to wade through the literature, weigh the relative merits of arguments made by proponents and detractors of Rorschach assessment, and meaningfully interpret the findings of relevant studies. Often studies reviewing the Rorschach's utility in assessing Antisocial Personality Disorder (American Psychiatric Association, 1994) and psychopathy exhibit a flawed or superficial understanding of essential theoretical and methodological issues. Argument derived from a suspect or specious premise, such as the notion that the Rorschach was designed or aspires to correspond with formal diagnosis based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (American Psychiatric Association, 1952, 1994), vitiates conclusions based on such a premise. In this article, we discuss theoretical and methodological issues that can aid the reader or reviewer in achieving a more accurate understanding of this body of research.
Previous research has indicated that psychopathy, as measured by the Hare Psychopathy Checklist is related to violent behavior, recidivism, and career criminality in nonpsychotic, correctional populations. However, the present study is among only a few to investigate the relationship between psychopathy and violence in mentally disordered offenders. Participants (N = 218) were administered the PCL following admission to an inpatient forensic hospital. Significant correlations between the PCL total scores and both nonphysical and physical aggression during the first 2 months of hospitalization were observed. The PCL total scores were also significantly correlated with postdischarge arrests for offenses against persons but not for offenses against property. Both age and PCL total score were significantly related to the total number of aggressive incidents during the first 2 months of hospitalization, but only the PCL total was significantly related to frequency of seclusion or restraint during this period. Results suggest that psychopathy may serve as a risk factor for mentally disordered offenders for certain kinds of aggression.
A Therapeutic Community (TC) treatment program for adult male offenders is summarized and treatment outcome data are discussed. Psychopaths showed less clinical improvement, displayed lower levels of motivation and were discharged from the program earlier than non-psychopaths. There were significant positive treatment effects for the non-psychopaths and a mixed group. Psychopathy Checklist scores (Hare, 1985) consistently postdict and predict treatment outcome and attrition from the program.
As mental health resources dwindle, efficient use of available services becomes an economic and ethical necessity. Integral to this process are screening, assessment, and treatment planning. Treatment planning is especially critical in correctional settings where change-resistant Antisocial Personality Disordered (ASPD) individuals compose a disproportionate percentage of the population. Not a homogeneous group, some ASPDs are treatable, some are not. The Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) and Rorschach Test aid the clinician in formulating diagnoses, assessing treatment amenability, targeting areas for intervention, and, with the Rorschach, monitoring treatment progress. This article discusses the PCL-R's and Rorschach's role in treating ASPD patients. Two low-Lambda, introversive, T = 1, ASPD Rorschach protocols highlight treatment planning and treatment progress assessment.
The primary focus of this book is on criminal violence of both mentally disordered and criminal inmates, whose histories of criminal violence raise serious societal concerns about the commission of future acts of violence. It is difficult for legal experts, psychologists, and policy makers to make decisions that strike the proper balance between an offender's civil liberties and community safety. Such a balance requires an accurate assessment of the likelihood that an individual offender will commit a new violent or sexual offense. On the basis of their research on mentally disordered offenders, sex offenders, fire setters, and psychopathic offenders, the authors have devised an actuarial assessment instrument, the Violence Risk Appraisal Guide. The authors argue that risk management can be improved by combining what is already known about predicting violence, clinical decision making, and program evaluation. They conclude that the results of their applied research have implications for our understanding of the etiology of violent criminal behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
This reprinted article originally appeared in American Psychologist, Vol 14, Mar 1959, 115-128. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record
1960-03715-001.) Philosophers "can fulfill a useful auxiliary role...in collaborating with productive scientists...as critics and catalysts." Theories "so conceived as to be irrefutable by any sort of evidence" constitute a methodological embarrassment for psychology. "The quest for certainty, the craving for infallibility, has produced the embarrassments of emptiness and circularity." The "most painful philosophical embarrassment of psychology" is "the definition of its very subject matter....The embarrassment of unanswerable questions can be avoided if we do not introduce absolutely unconfirmable entities into our theories." In theory construction psychology's embarrassment is a methodological one. "The time has come to emancipate ourselves from the radical empiricism of the operationists and the behaviorists. A more liberal view of the nature of scientific theory will help us more adequately and clearly to assign to psychology its proper place in the uniting sciences and to remove many of the philosophical embarrassments that have stood in the way of scientific progress." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
The authors review the treatment literature for conduct disorder, antisocial, and psychopathic personalities. The chapter begins with a critical assessment of the social deviancy model that guides current classifications of psychopathy in the present DSM system of classifying mental disorders. The authors contrast the clinical characteristics of this diagnostic category with other psychometric classifications of psychopathy and introduce a number of conceptual dilemmas affecting the identification of appropriate treatments and treatment outcomes. Because psychopathy is one of the personality disorders with long-standing links to criminality (T. Millon et al, 1998), this chapter provides readers with a clear and organized overview on treating a population of offenders that has fascinated clinical professionals for more than 200 years. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
This landmark book on the psychodynamics of psychopathy is divided into four sections. Part I, "Origins," explores the history of the dynamic understanding of psychopathy and its psychobiological foundations. It offers an object-relational developmental theory to explain the gensis of psychopathy. Part II, "Structure and Dynamics," probes the conscious and unconscious mind of the psychopath along the dimensions of affective experience and defensive operations. . . . "Violence, Psychosis, and Related States," Part III, develops a differential model of human aggression as either affective or predatory and hypothesizes that the psychopathic process is partucarly suited to predatory violence. . . . The last section, "Treatment," focuses on resistances encountered in the patient and countertransference threats to successful treatment.
Clinicians will find this book helpful because it goes beyond description of behavior into the structure and functioning of the psychopathic mind. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
This study compares Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) scores, DSM-III-R diagnoses, and select behavioral indices between hospitalized insanity acquittees (N = 18) and hospitalized insanity acquittees who successfully malingered (N = 18). The malingerers were significantly more likely to have a history of murder or rape, carry a diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder or sexual sadism, and produce greater PCL-R factor 1, factor 2, and total scores than insanity acquittees who did not malinger. The malingerers were also significantly more likely to be verbally or physically assaultive, require specialized treatment plans to control their aggression, have sexual relations with female staff, deal drugs, and be considered an escape risk within the forensic hospital. These findings are discussed within the context of insanity statutes and the relevance of malingering, psychopathy, and treatability to future policy concerning the disposition of insanity acquittees.
I describe problems in an article by Wood, Nezworski, Stejskal, Garven, and West (1999b). These include (a) claims that researchers found or said things they did not, (b) an assertion that my data did not support the incremental validity of the Rorschach over the MMPI-2 when the opposite was true, (c) complications with their recommended incremental validity procedures, (d) unwarranted criticism of Burns and Viglione's (1996) statistical analyses, (e) oversimplifying issues associated with extreme groups research, (f) misleading criticisms of composite measures, and (g) faulty criticisms of Burns and Viglione's composite scale that overlooked relevant evidence. Wood et al. also asserted that Burns and Viglione's primary Rorschach variable was faulty and created a formula that seemed to show how Burns and Viglione's scores were 'incompatible' and 'not ... even very close' to those obtained from the proper formula. These criticisms were made even though Wood et al. had been told that their formula was incorrect and shown that it was almost perfectly correlated with the proper formula in 8 large samples (rs > .998). Sound criticism of Rorschach research will advance science and practice, but the Wood et al. article did not provide sufficient guidance.
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