Psychopathy Checklist–Revised (PCL-R) and the Psychopathy Checklist Screening Version (PCL:SV)

Robert Hare’s Psychopathy Checklist–Revised (PCL-R) and the briefer screening version (PCL:SV) are the predominant tools for assessing psychopathic traits in adult forensic and correctional [Page 1189]settings. Psychopathy is a multidimensional personality disorder characterized by an arrogant and manipulative interpersonal style, poverty in major affective reactions, an impulsive and irresponsible lifestyle, and persistent and inadequately motivated antisocial behavior. Contemporary conceptualizations of psychopathy derive from Hervey Cleckley’s seminal work in the 1940s in which he provided comprehensive descriptions of institutionalized psychiatric case studies. Cleckley defined psychopathy primarily in terms of interpersonal and affective deficits under a surface of outwardly normal behavior, which he termed a mask of sanity. Considerable research has demonstrated that adults presenting with psychopathic traits embark on a chronic, proactively (i.e., without provocation, for ...