The document describes the Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R), a diagnostic tool used to rate a person's psychopathic tendencies. It contains 20 items that are each scored on a scale from 0-2 to assess personalities and lifestyles. A score of 30 or above qualifies for a diagnosis of psychopathy, while most non-psychopathic criminals score around 22. Administration of the PCL-R requires appropriate training and involves a semi-structured interview and file review to compare subjects to a prototypical psychopath.

1. The hare psychopathy
checklist
By
Muhammad Musawar Ali
MPHIL, ICAP
Psychmmusawarali@gmail.com

2. the hare psychopathy checklist(R)
The Hare Psychopathy Checklist-
Revised (PCL-R) is a diagnostic tool
used to rate a person's psychopathic or
antisocial tendencies

3. Scoring
 The PCL-R contains 20 items that rate individuals on their
personalities and lifestyles.
 Each item on the PCL-R is scored on a scale from 0-2.
 A score of 0 means the item does not apply,
 1 means it applies to some extent,
 and 2 means it applies and there is a good match.
 If there is insufficient data to score a particular item on the
list, it is omitted. Up to five items on the list may be omitted
with the test still being considered reliable.

4. Ranges
Mild: : A total score of 10-19 on the PCL-R
diagnoses an individual as mildly
psychopathic.
Moderate: A score of 20-29 diagnoses them
as moderately psychopathic.
Severe And a score of 30-40 diagnoses them
as severely psychopathic.

5.  A prototypical psychopath would receive a maximum score of
40, while someone with absolutely no psychopathic traits or
tendencies would receive a score of zero.
 A score of 30 or above qualifies a person for a diagnosis of
psychopathy.
 People with no criminal backgrounds normally score around
5.
 Many non-psychopathic criminal offenders score around 22

6. History of Hare psychopathy checklist
 It was developed by Dr. Robert Hare,
 a Canadian professor and researcher renowned in criminal
psychology,
 who has spent three decades studying the concept known
as the psychopath and based partly on Hare’s work with
prison inmates in Vancouver.
 Developed in 1970
 Reliability and Validity: The manual contains no information
on validity and reliability.

7. Purpose
 The PCL-R is used for diagnosing psychopathy in individuals for clinical,
legal or research purposes.
 the test was originally designed to identify the degree of a person's
psychopathic tendencies.
 Because psychopaths, however, are often repeat offenders who commit
sexual assaults or other violent crimes again and again, the PCL-R is now
finding use in the courtroom and in institutions as an indicator of the
potential risk posed by subjects or prisoners.
 The results of the examination have been used in forensic settings as a
factor in deciding the length and type of prison sentences and the
treatment subjects should or should not receive

8. Uses:
 The PCL-R is widely used to assess individuals in high
security psychiatric units, prisons and other settings.
 This may be of help in deciding who should be detained or
released, or who should undergo what kind of treatment.
 It is also used for its original purpose - to carry out basic
psychology studies of psychopathy.
 The PCL-R also has some wide use as a risk assessment tool
that attempts to predict who will offend or reoffend.

9. Administration
Administering the PCL-R requires
appropriate credentials and training.
It is preferable for scorers to use in-
person interviews in addition to reviewing
file information when calculating the
scores.

10. Qualifications and training:
The PCL-R manual (Hare, 1990) outlines the recommended
qualifications for clinical use of the instrument. They
include: possession of an advanced degree in the social,
medical, or behavioral sciences, such as a Ph.D., D.Ed. or
M.D. Registration with a state or provincial body that
regulates the assessment and diagnosis of mental disorder
as well as experience in working with forensic populations
is required. Adequate training and supervised experience in
the use of the PCL-R is also required.

11. The Hare PCL-R contains two parts, a
semi-structured interview and a review of
the subject's file records and history. A 20-
item symptom rating scale that allows
qualified examiners to compare a subject's
degree of psycho pathy with that of a
prototypical psychopath. Each of the
twenty items is given a score of 0, 1, or 2
based on how well it applies to the subject
being tested.

12. Questions to be asked
• glib and superficial charm
• grandiose (exaggeratedly high)
estimation of self
• need for stimulation
• pathological lying
• cunning and manipulative

13. • lack of remorse or guilt
• shallow affect (superficial
emotional responsiveness)
• callousness and lack of empathy
• parasitic lifestyle
• poor behavioral controls

14. • sexual promiscuity
• early behavior problems
• lack of realistic long-term goals
• impulsivity
• irresponsibility

15. • failure to accept responsibility for own
actions
• many short-term marital relationships
• juvenile delinquency
• revocation of conditional release
• criminal versatility

16. Below is a summary of the 20 items that appear on the
PCL-R. It has been written to introduce the reader to
the items on the test without plagiarizing it. This
summary excludes, for the most part, the specific
methods used by the scorer to rate each item

17. 1. Item 1 describes individuals who are glib and
superficial. These people are very witty and articulate
and they may be quite likeable. They can be funny and
entertaining, tell unlikely but convincing stories that
make them look good, and have quick and clever
comebacks. Although they may appear to know a lot
about many subjects, they usually only know enough
technical jargon to impress some people. They also
generally sound so slick that they come off as not being
entirely believable to some.

18. 2. Item 2 describes individuals who are egocentric
and have a grandiose sense of self-worth. They
may brag a lot, be narcissistic, opinionated and
self-assured. It is common for these people to
aspire to pursue careers with status, but they have
little understanding of the qualifications required to
attain such careers. Their egos are so inflated that
instead of being embarrassed about their legal
problems, they view them as being the result of
something like bad luck or injustice

19. 3. Item 3 describes individuals who have an excessive need
for stimulation and are unusually prone to becoming
bored. These people are risk-takers who seek excitement
and go where the action is. They may frequently move to
new residences, change jobs, become alcoholics, use
many different types of drugs and/or commit crimes just for
the thrill of it. They will often complain that certain tasks
like school, work, or long-term relationships are too tedious
or boring.

20. 4. Item 4 describes individuals who habitually lie and
deceive others, including people they are close
to. They may be proud of these abilities and go so
far as to create elaborate stories just for the delight
of fooling people. If they are questioned or caught in
a lie, they have explanations and excuses for
everything and are able to quickly change their
stories or the subject without appearing embarrassed
or confused.

21. 5. Item 5 describes individuals who cheat, defraud
and/or manipulate others, including people they
are close to. Motivated by a desire for personal
gain, such as money, power, sex, and/or status,
they will scam their victims without any
concern. Sometimes their behavior will involve
breaking the law, but other times it doesn’t.

22. 6. Item 6 describes an individuals who lack remorse or guilt
for their criminal and noncriminal actions. Although they
may verbally express that they have remorse, their actions
and/or other responses contradict this. They are
concerned with the effects their actions have on them
rather than any suffering they have caused their victims or
damage they have done to society. They are unable to
appreciate the seriousness of their actions, blame their
victims or society for the circumstances, and continue to
engage in activities that are harmful to others.

23. 7. Item 7 describes an individuals who have a shallow
affect and lack the ability to experience a normal
range of emotions. Their emotions are generally
dramatic, shallow, and short-lived. They may claim
to exhibit strong emotions, but these emotions may
not be consistent with their actions or the
situation. They may experience sexual arousal
instead of love, frustration instead of sadness, and
irritability instead of anger.

24. 8. Item 8 describes individuals who have a profound
lack of empathy and a callous disregard for
others. They view people as objects to be
manipulated and are not concerned with the feelings,
rights, or welfare of others. They process the pain
and suffering of others on an abstract, intellectual
level. They are selfish and cynical, and do not
hesitate at mocking people, including those who
have suffered misfortunes or who have physical
and/or mental handicaps.

25. 9. Item 9 describes individuals whose financial dependence
on others is a part of their lifestyle. These people are able
to work, but have a parasitic pattern of relying on family,
friends, and/or social aid for financial support instead. They
get what they want by presenting themselves as helpless,
deserving of sympathy, and by exploiting their victims’
weaknesses. Others are called upon to support them and
cater to their needs no matter what the cost.

26. 10. Item 10 describes individuals who have poor
control over their behavior. These people are easily
offended and can become angry over petty
things. They tend to respond to frustration, failure,
discipline, and criticism by becoming verbally
abusive and/or violent. They are known to be short-
tempered, hot-headed, suddenly irritable, annoyed
and/or impatient. Often their outbursts are short-
lived and they may quickly act as if nothing has
happened.

27. 11. Item 11 describes individuals who have
promiscuous, impersonal and/or trivial sexual
relationships. They may have more than one partner
at the same time, engage in casual sex, have one-
night-stands, use prostitutes, and/or not discriminate
when selecting sexual partners. They might have a
history of coercing others into having sex with them
and may also have prior charges for sexual assault.

28. 12. Item 12 describes individuals who experienced
serious behavioral problems at the age of 12 or
younger. These problems are more severe than
those exhibited by most children. Repercussions
can include discipline from schools and/or contact
with the police. Some examples of these problems
are persistent lying, cheating, theft, fire-setting,
cruelty to animals, truancy, drug-use, vandalism,
violence, bullying, running away from home and/or
preconscious sex.

29. 13. Item 13 describes individuals who are not able
or willing to develop and carry out realistic, long-
term plans and/or goals. These people can make
short-term goals and tend to live in the present
without giving serious thought to their
futures. They don’t seem concerned if they have
done little with their lives or are going nowhere in
life. They may change their plans frequently and
not be interested in having steady jobs.

30. 14. Item 14 describes individuals who acts in
impulsive ways. These people don’t think
before they act and are known to do things on
the “spur of the moment” just because they feel
like it or an opportunity presented itself. They
don’t spend much time considering the pros and
cons of a situation and will change plans on a
whim without bothering to tell others.

31. 15. Item 15 describes individuals who are irresponsible in a
variety of areas. These people have little to no sense of
duty or loyalty to family, friends, employers, societies,
ideas, and/or causes. Their irresponsible behavior is
expressed in a variety of ways including engaging in
behavior that puts others at risk, poorly managing their
finances, having careless or sloppy work behavior, and/or
failing to honor commitments to people in both their
personal and professional relationships.

32. 16. Item 16 describes individuals who are unable
or unwilling to accept personal responsibility for
their actions. They make excuses for their
behavior, including rationalizing it or blaming it
on circumstance or someone else. Sometimes
they will accept responsibility in a superficial
manner, but they will minimize or deny the
consequences of their behavior.

33. 17. Item 17 describes individuals who have had
many short-term marital relationships. Live-in
relationships that have involved some degree of
commitment, common-law marriages,
heterosexual and homosexual relationships are
also included. A score of 2 applies to
individuals who have had 3 or more of these
relationships before the age of 30.

34. 18. Item 18 describes individuals who were
delinquent as juveniles. They have a
history of serious antisocial behavior
from the age of 17 and younger and have
had formal contact with the criminal
justice system.

35. 19. Item 19 describes individuals who have
violated a conditional release or escaped from
an institution. They may have violated the
conditions of their parole, probation, restraining
orders, bail, and/or have received new charges
while on parole. They may have also escaped
from jail or another institution. A major violation
or escape warrants a score of 2.

36. 20. Item 20 describes individuals who, while
adults, have been charged with many
different types of crimes. Charges can
include theft, robbery, assault, fraud, arson,
and/or minor charges including vandalism,
causing a disturbance, etc. Six or more
types of offenses results in a score of 2.

37. Criticism
 Hare's concept has also been criticised as being only weakly applicable to real-world settings
and tending towards tautology.
 It is also said to be vulnerable to "labeling effects", to be over-simplistic, reductionist, to
embody the fundamental attribution error, and to not pay enough attention to context and the
dynamic nature of human behavior.
 [ It has been pointed out that half the criteria can also be signs of mania, hypomania,
or frontal lobe dysfunction (e.g., glibness/superficial charm, grandiosity, poor behavioral
controls, promiscuous sexual behavior, and irresponsibility)
 Some research suggests that ratings made using the PCL system depend on the personality
of the person doing the rating, including how empathic they themselves are.
 One forensic researcher has suggested that future studies need to examine the class
background, race and philosophical beliefs of raters because they may not be aware of
enacting biased judgments of people whose section of society or individual lives they have no
understanding of or empathy for.

38. Thanks For Patience 